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7th June 2021

Himachal placed third on the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Index, 2020-21.
In 2018-2019, the state ranked 18th on this index. Now, it has bagged the third spot.

Providing prophylactic iron and folic acid supplementation, regular de-worming of school children, intensified year-round behavior change communication (BCC) campaign, testing of anaemia, mandatory provision of iron and folic acid fortified foods in government-funded health programs and addressing non-nutritional causes of anemia had helped the state do well in controlling the health condition.

Anaemia has become a major public health issue these days. Almost 50 per cent of the pregnant women, 59 per cent of the children under five years of age, 54 per cent of the adolescent girls and 53 per cent of the non-pregnant, non-lactating women of our country are anaemic.

Anemia during pregnancy was associated with postpartum bleeding, neural tube abnormalities, low birth weight, preterm births, stillbirths and maternal deaths.
In other populations, anemia is associated with reduced immunity, poor cognitive development and decreased work productivity.

Lower prevalence of anemia will help improve maternal and child survival rates and health outcomes for other population groups.

It is for accelerating decline in anemia prevalence and to achieve the POSHAN Abhiyaan(2018-20) target of reducing prevalence of anemia among children 6-59 months, adolescents and women of reproductive age 15–49 years by 3 percentage points per year.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India has launched the Anemia Mukt Bharat Program.
The AMB aims to provide preventive and curative mechanisms through a 6×6×6 strategy including six target beneficiaries, six interventions and six institutional mechanisms, for all stakeholders to implement the strategy.

(Source: The Tribune)

Ethanol is an alternative fuel produced mostly domestically from corn. It is also manufactured from cellulosic raw materials, such as crop residues and wood, although this is not as frequent.
Ethanol is an important industrial chemical; it is used as a solvent, in the synthesis of other organic chemicals, and as an additive to automotive gasoline (forming a mixture known as a gasohol). Ethanol is also the intoxicating ingredient for many alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine and distilled spirits.
In most new ethanol factories, also known as “dry grind”, corn grains are finely ground into small particles. Then water is added to the ground corn as well as enzymes to turn the starch into fermentation. Yeast is added to the must and fermentation generates ethanol and carbon dioxide.