TY - JOUR
T1 - A review of the maternal iron and folic acid supplementation programme in Nepal
T2 - Achievements and challenges
AU - Paudyal, Naveen
AU - Parajuli, Kedar Raj
AU - Garcia Larsen, Vanessa
AU - Adhikari, Ramesh Kant
AU - Devkota, Madhu Dixit
AU - Rijal, Sanjay
AU - Chitekwe, Stanley
AU - Torlesse, Harriet
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Mr. MR Maharjan, Programme Policy Officer- Rice Fortification Specialist, World Food Programme, who provided information on the evolution of the Iron Intensification Programme and flour fortification in Nepal. The research was funded by UNICEF Nepal.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - In the late 1990s, an estimated 75% of pregnant women in Nepal were anaemic. Although iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements were available free of charge, coverage among pregnant women was very low. In response, the Government of Nepal launched the Iron Intensification Programme (IIP) in 2003 to improve the coverage of IFA supplementation and anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy, as well as promote the utilization of antenatal care. This review examined how the IIP programme contributed to Nepal's success in increasing the consumption of IFA supplements during pregnancy. Nepal's cadre of Female Community Health Volunteers were engaged in the IIP to support the community-based distribution of IFA supplements to pregnant women and complement IFA distribution through health facilities and outreach services. As a result, the country achieved a fourfold increase in the proportion of women who took IFA supplements during pregnancy between 2001 and 2016 (from 23% to 91%) and a 12-fold increase in the proportion who took IFA supplements for at least 90 days during pregnancy (from 6% to 71%). The increase in coverage of IFA supplements accompanied an increase in the coverage of antenatal care during the same period. By 2016, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women decreased to 46%, highlighting the need to tackle other causes of anaemia and improve haemoglobin concentration before pregnancy, while maintaining the successful efforts to reach pregnant women with IFA supplements at the community level.
AB - In the late 1990s, an estimated 75% of pregnant women in Nepal were anaemic. Although iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements were available free of charge, coverage among pregnant women was very low. In response, the Government of Nepal launched the Iron Intensification Programme (IIP) in 2003 to improve the coverage of IFA supplementation and anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy, as well as promote the utilization of antenatal care. This review examined how the IIP programme contributed to Nepal's success in increasing the consumption of IFA supplements during pregnancy. Nepal's cadre of Female Community Health Volunteers were engaged in the IIP to support the community-based distribution of IFA supplements to pregnant women and complement IFA distribution through health facilities and outreach services. As a result, the country achieved a fourfold increase in the proportion of women who took IFA supplements during pregnancy between 2001 and 2016 (from 23% to 91%) and a 12-fold increase in the proportion who took IFA supplements for at least 90 days during pregnancy (from 6% to 71%). The increase in coverage of IFA supplements accompanied an increase in the coverage of antenatal care during the same period. By 2016, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women decreased to 46%, highlighting the need to tackle other causes of anaemia and improve haemoglobin concentration before pregnancy, while maintaining the successful efforts to reach pregnant women with IFA supplements at the community level.
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U2 - 10.1111/mcn.13173
DO - 10.1111/mcn.13173
M3 - Article
C2 - 33763980
AN - SCOPUS:85103041006
VL - 18
JO - Maternal and Child Nutrition
JF - Maternal and Child Nutrition
SN - 1740-8695
IS - S1
M1 - e13173
ER -