Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS) Over 60 percent women in the age group of 15 to 49 years in West Bengal are anaemic, says the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4).
In total, 62.5 percent of women in the age group of 15-49 years were anaemic, the NFHS-4 (2015-2016) revealed. This was a slight decrease from 63.2 percent as was reported in the third edition of NFHS (2005-2006).
The percentage of pregnant women in the age group of 15-49 years who were anaemic was 53.6 percent while the percentage of anaemic women in the non-pregnant population in the same age group was 62.8, the survey said.
In addition, the survey showed more than half the children under 5 years were still anaemic in the state.
As per recent NFHS findings, anaemia in children was found to have decreased marginally across most of the states, but still remains worryingly widespread, said NGO Child Rights and You in a statement.
“In West Bengal, though the number of children under 5 years suffering from anaemia decreased by seven percentage points over the last decade (from 61 percent in 2005-2006 to 54.2 percent in 2015-2016), one in every two children is still anaemic,” CRY said.