India’s anaemia challenge is not simply about access to iron tablets. It is about whether those tablets ultimately translate into better haemoglobin outcomes.
The numbers reveal a striking gap. NFHS-5 found 52.2% of pregnant women anaemic, even though 87.6% received or purchased iron–folic acid (IFA) during pregnancy. Only 44.1% consumed IFA for 100 days or more, just 26% completed the recommended 180 days, and effective coverage has been estimated at only 12%.
That distinction matters. Receipt is not consumption. Consumption is not haemoglobin.
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