By IANS,
New Delhi: Even as the plans for promoting iron rich salt is on government’s anvil, the programme may not be implemented soon for lack of funds, a health ministry official said Monday.
“We don’t have the budget for implementing the programme immediately,” the official told IANS.
A meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office last week decided that iron-fortified iodised salt will be promoted to deal with malnutrition and the problem of anaemia in the country.
The meeting chaired by the principal secretary to the prime minister was attended by the officials from the health ministry, women and child development ministry, and representatives from the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
The institute has developed technologies for the double fortification of salt with iodine and iron.
“It will take at least two years,” the official said.
The deficiency of iron, a micronutrient which increases haemoglobin in blood, is a major cause for anaemia among millions of women, causing maternal deaths.
Micronutrient International, an international NGO specialising in addressing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, has said double fortified salt with iodine and iron is on its agenda for India.
“Salt is something commonly used everywhere and anaemia is a big problem in India. The double fortified salt will be very effective, right now some experimental programmes are being run,” Micronutrient Initiative regional director for India Melanie Galvin said.
“We are in the process of getting an approval from food safety and standards authority of India,” she added.
She also said that studies are on for the use of zinc to reduce deaths due to diarrhea.