This policy brief presents the results of a study of the impact of the Anemia Mukt Bharat (Anemia-Free India) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) on anemia in children. Researchers mapped indicators from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) at the individual, household, and community levels to analyze the impact on children’s hemoglobin levels of each program alone and of the programs in combination. They found that children who received at least one intervention under Anemia Mukt Bharat had 0.06 g/dl higher hemoglobin levels. Among children whose households received improved sanitation facilities under the Swachh Bharat Mission and whose communities’ open defecation rates fell below 40 percent, children’s hemoglobin levels were 0.12 g/dl higher. Hemoglobin levels were 0.08–0.23 g/dl higher in children receiving interventions from both programs. The researchers also found that the effects of the programs differed according to socioeconomic groups and that they were negated for children if their mother is anemic.

Based on these results, TCI recommends that policymakers:

• Adopt a systematic approach to anemia reduction that prioritizes interministerial coordination of nutrition, sanitation, and other programs, including data sharing, the adoption of joint goals, and the coordination of community-level activities.
• Design programs to address the specific needs of different socioeconomic groups and tailor implementation to different geographic contexts, such as the use of mobile healthcare services and community-based interventions to reach remote areas.
• Integrate maternal health services into child health programs to bolster children’s health outcomes.

Download the policy brief