Anaemia burden — iron alone is no solution
The Hindu - Opinion · Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated
Using double-fortified salt to address India's anaemia burden is counterproductive, as it forces excessive sodium intake that worsens hypertension and undermines national non-communicable disease targets.
Key points
- The fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reveals that more than half of Indian women and about two-thirds of young children suffer from anaemia.
- Double-fortified salt (DFS), which contains both iodine and iron, is frequently proposed as a transformative public health solution due to its universal consumption.
- The author argues that convenience is not efficacy, and promoting iron delivery through salt policy deserves strict scrutiny.
- Indians consume roughly twice the five grams of salt a day recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Approximately one in three adults in India is affected by hypertension.
- India's own non-communicable disease (NCD) action plan officially commits to achieving a 30% relative reduction in salt intake.
Background
- 1970: Launch of the National Programme for Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anaemia (NPIDA), initiating iron-folic acid supplementation for vulnerable populations.
- 1992: Introduction of ICDS supplementary nutrition, providing iron-fortified take-home rations for children and mothers.
- 2013: National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) expands iron supplementation to adolescents, lactating mothers, and the general adult population.
- 2016: WHO issues revised guidelines cautioning against indiscriminate iron supplementation in malaria-prone zones.
- 2018: POSHAN Abhiyaan launched, aiming to integrate anaemia control with broader nutrition, sanitation, and education interventions.
UPSC relevance, Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: The Hindu - Opinion