03 March 2015
The poor health of children in India is one of the world's perplexing public health issues. An iimportant factor is the relatively poor health of young Indian women.
More than 90% of adolescent Indian girls are anaemic (anemic).
42% of Indian mothers were underweight as compared to 16.5% for Sub Saharan Africa.
"Young newly married women are at the bottom of household hierarchies. So at the same time that Indian women become pregnant, they are often expected to keep quiet, work hard and eat little"
Dr. Shella Duggal said that almost every pregnant woman she treats in her visits to Delhi's slums is severly anemic. "Parasites, spread by poor sanitation and dirty water, are a crucial reason. So the first thing we do is deworm them and give them iron supplements. And then I tell them to eat."
