Inauguration & launch of the joint community service outreach for adolescent boys & girls from vulnerable families through ICPH-ACSEN Collaboration

Working towards an Anemia Free Childhood
Prevention | Screening | Correction | Advocacy

Context:
Giving every child a health start to life is vision and mission at ICPH: The International Centre for Child and Public Health (ICPH) continues to take active steps to respond to, develop and implement comprehensive interventions for vulnerable children. Building on Shanti Ashram’s 30 years of community service and leveraging its long-standing international and local partnerships. ICPH’s child health interventions particularly the comprehensive pediatric health check-ups delivered through the innovative ‘hospital on wheels’ is one of our flagship programmes.

India is a home to around 120 million adolescent girls and 133 million adolescent boys.
More than 100 million of these adolescents suffer from anemia. Iron deficiency is a major cause of anemia in India. In Tamil Nadu among adolescents, nearly half the girls and a quarter of boys suffer from iron deficiency. Prevalence of Anemia among Adolescents in Coimbatore District shows that 88.6% (95% CI 87.2 to 89.8); it was ten percent per cent higher in females (93.8%, 95% CI 92.1 to 95.1) compared to males (83.9%, 95% CI 81.7 to 85.8).
Weekly Iron and Folic Acid supplementation programme for students in Government and Government aided schools where one tablet is given every Thursday is being actively implemented across the state. In spite of all these interventions the last mile connectivity to eliminating anemia amongst children, particularly vulnerable rural children is yet to be achieved. The burden of anemia amongst adolescent girls and boys still stands high and unacceptable. But on a mission mode – Tamil Nadu has set the goal of creating a ‘anemia free state’. After detailed discussions between ACSEN & the ICPH team, it has been agreed upon to pilot a community centered solution.

Project Goals:
Serving 2000 boys and girls in the vulnerable communities of Perur and Madukkarai Block over a period of 15 Months

• • Building an informed partnership to work towards an anemia-free childhood
  • Revisiting existing Government & UNICEF strategies in shaping this pilot initiative
  • Visioning a joint strategy& pilot a community-centered model of ‘Anemia free childhood’ that will combine children from the service villages of Shanti Ashram & partner schools

  
  On this auspicious day the combined initiative is launched.

  Programme: Agenda-Inauguration-launch-of-the-joint-community-service-outreach-for-adolescent-boys-girls-from-vulnerable-families-through-ICPH-ACSEN-Collaboration-4th-FEB-2025.pdf

  Programme

  Time	Events
  11.00 a.m.	Welcome Introduction to the Staff Team Tour around the Ashram
  11.10 a.m.	Inaugural Ceremony Interfaith Prayer, Shanti Ashram and ICPH Staff Welcome Dr.Subhadra Iyengar, ICPH & Mr.G.Vijayaragavan, Head, Youth Leadership Programme ‘Working towards an Anemia Free Childhood’: 2025-2026 Dr.Kezevino Aram & Dr.Jeyashree Ashwath, Dr.Lakshmi Shanthi, Indian Academy of Peadiatrics A child’s voice:
  11.30 a.m.	Inauguration of “Working towards an Anemia Free Childhood Initiative 2025- 2026” • Chief Guest Shri.Kranti Kumar Pati, IAS District Collector, Coimbatore District • Guests of Honour Shri. S.Senthilnathan Chairman and Managing Director, ACSEN Agriscience Pvt Ltd Smt.Chitra Senthilnathan Joint Managing Trustee, ACSEN Foundation Charitable Trust Dr.Baluswamy Deputy Director of Health Services, Coimbatore Dr. K.Rajendran, HOD, Department of Pediatrics, KMCH President, Indian Academy of Pediatrics, TNSC •Special Invitee: Dr.M.Ramaswamy Mentor, ICPH and Policy Advisor, Masonic Medical Center for Children
  11.40 a.m.	Followed by: • Chief Guests Address by Shri.Kranti Kumar Pati, IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore • ACSEN Foundation’s association for the ‘Anemia Free Childhood Initiative2025- 2026’ Shri. S.Senthilnathan, Chairman and Managing Director, ACSEN Agriscience Pvt Ltd •Why community outreach is key to Anemia free childhood? Dr.M.Ramaswamy, Mentor, ICPH, Policy Advisor, Masonic Medical Center for Children • Release of the Nutritional adolescent child advisory for Anemia prevention &Correction Dr.Kowsalya, Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Avinashilingam University • Giving back to the community through Happy Planet, Healthy People initiatives Smt. Chitra Senthilnathan, Joint Managing Trustee, ACSEN Foundation • Felicitation by Dr.Baluswamy, Deputy Director of Health Services, Coimbatore
  12.15 p.m.	Conclusion & next steps: Ms.Deepa Kumaradevan, Head, Bala Shanti Programme & Ms. Ranisha, Nutritionist, Community Nutrition Hub, ICPH
  12.25 p.m.	Interactive Knowledge Update on “Working towards an Anemia Free Childhood: 2025-2026” Prevention| Screening| Correction| Advocacy for Teachers, Parents and Adolescents by ICPH and IAP Team

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