India Strengthens Anemia Mukt Bharat with New Digital Tracking

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava called for a life-course approach that reaches younger age groups rather than concentrating supplementation efforts mainly around pregnancy.

India is reshaping its fight against anaemia with a stronger focus on testing, individual treatment, nutrition and digital follow-up, bringing health officials and experts from across the country together in New Delhi to turn the revised Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan into practical action.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare held a two-day national workshop on 12–13 August 2026 with more than 160 participants from every State and Union Territory, alongside representatives from several central ministries, researchers and development partners.

Revised Strategy Moves Beyond Iron Supplementation

The revised AMB guidelines, launched by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on 29 June, shift the programme beyond its earlier emphasis on supplementation and prevention by placing greater attention on testing people for anaemia, identifying appropriate treatment, monitoring compliance and encouraging diverse, nutritious diets.

The programme has moved from its earlier 6×6×6 framework to a broader 7×7×7 strategy, with officials stressing that successful implementation will depend on stronger participation from beneficiaries and closer coordination between health services, schools, communities and other government programmes.

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava called for a life-course approach that reaches younger age groups rather than concentrating supplementation efforts mainly around pregnancy.

New App Will Track Patients From Screening to Recovery

A major development at the workshop was the launch of the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Application and Portal, designed to track beneficiaries from initial screening through treatment, follow-up and resolution.

The platform will allow health teams to monitor treatment compliance and continuity of care at the individual level, while programme managers can use the resulting data to identify gaps and areas requiring additional intervention.

ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl stressed the importance of matching treatment to the severity and cause of anaemia, repeating tests after three months and promoting iron-rich diets, while recognising that different patients may require different approaches.

States Take Bigger Role in Shaping Local Action

State and Union Territory teams used the second day to work on community participation, coordination between ministries and practical implementation challenges, sharing experiences that could shape future delivery of the programme nationally. Discussions also covered oral and intravenous iron treatment, deworming, nutrition, screening, data analytics and ways to improve iron supplementation compliance.

NITI Aayog Member Dr M. Srinivas highlighted the potential for advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to identify areas carrying a particularly high burden of anaemia, allowing resources and interventions to be targeted more precisely.

The workshop placed states in the role of co-owners rather than simply implementers, reflecting the wider push to combine government programmes, community participation, research and digital technology in reducing anaemia across India.