P&G Health’s “Na Na Anaemia Bus Yatra” to travel across 20 cities to raise awareness around iron deficiency anaemia

Commemorating Iron Deficiency Day 2022 (IDD), P&G Health in association with Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) has stepped up on efforts to raise awareness about Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) with the “Na Na Anemia Bus Yatra”.

Flagged off from Rishikesh by Milind Thatte, Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Health Limited and Dr Hrishikesh Pai, President, FOGSI, the “Na Na Anaemia Bus Yatra” will travel to 20 cities across the 5 states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal over 40 days, culminating in Kolkata on January 4, 2023.

Milind Thatte, managing director, Procter & Gamble Health Limited, said, “P&G Health has been dedicated to awareness and education efforts on iron deficiency through our flagship brand Livogen, for over 50 years in India. Through the “Na Na Anaemia Bus Yatra” in collaboration with FOGSI, we aim to create awareness till the last mile and empower people to identify early symptoms of IDA and take measures to overcome them. Under this initiative, free screening will be provided to over 5000 individuals along with Blood Pressure monitoring and an examination by a gynaecologist/physician.”

Iron deficiency affects all ages, with children, women who are pregnant or menstruating, and people on kidney dialysis among those at the highest risk for this condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that iron deficiency contributes to 50 per cent of all cases of anaemia. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data revealed that 1 in every 2 women in India is anaemic and the prevalence is around 57 per cent in non-pregnant women & 52 per cent in pregnant women. One in three women suffer from iron deficiency symptoms including tiredness, dizziness, paleness and hair fall3. But these symptoms are often ignored, making early identification of these symptoms and seeking timely diagnosis the need of the hour.

Dr Hrishikesh Pai, president, FOGSI added, “We are pleased to join hands with P&G Health for this promising campaign which contributes towards creating awareness around iron deficiency anaemia and its associated problems. India is endemic for nutritional deficiencies and has one of the highest reported cases of iron deficiency and anaemia cases. However, iron deficiency can often be confused with deficiency of vital vitamins prevalent in our country, and at times overlooked. We hope that the Bus Yatra is instrumental in creating on-ground awareness and reaching the grassroot levels.”

As an ongoing effort, P&G Health is constantly engaging with patients, consumers and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) to help educate and raise awareness on iron deficiency anaemia. A recently published Expert Consensus Publication, co-authored by P&G Health with renowned experts, brought into focus the impact of iron deficiency on the health of peri-menopausal women in India. P&G Health is also contributing to scientific learning and knowledge exchange forums for medical practitioners, including diagnostic workshops, continuing medical education, case-based discussions and global discussion forums.