The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare convened a two-day National Workshop on Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on August 12-13, 2026, in New Delhi, bringing together over 160 participants from all States and Union Territories. The workshop included representatives from multiple ministries including Education; Women and Child Development; Panchayati Raj; Youth Affairs and Sports; and Tribal Affairs, along with experts and development partners.
The workshop focused on strengthening implementation of the revised Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Operational Guidelines launched by Union Minister J.P. Nadda on June 29, 2026. The revised guidelines mark a strategic shift from a supplementation-focused approach to a comprehensive evidence-based framework centered on testing, case-based management, treatment compliance, consumption of diverse nutritious diets, and digital tracking through integrated portals.
Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized the need for stronger convergence across health programmes and closer inter-ministerial coordination to address anemia comprehensively. She highlighted the importance of extending supplementation efforts beyond pregnancy to younger age groups through a life-course approach and strengthening public awareness.
Additional Secretary Smt. Aradhana Patnaik stressed effective implementation of the strengthened 7×7×7 approach (transitioned from the earlier 6×6×6 framework), focusing on improving consumption and compliance to iron supplementation, strengthening beneficiary participation through Jan Bhagidari, and ensuring state-level innovations translate into measurable improvements. She emphasized digital tracking through AMB digital platforms and their linkages to existing portals.
Joint Secretary Ms. Meera Srivastava underscored the paradigm shift from static compliance-focused approach to one centered on testing, tracking and timely resolution, emphasizing greater transparency and accurate understanding of anemia prevalence through beneficiary-level digital line-listing and data integration.
ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl highlighted evidence-based program planning including timely testing, severity-appropriate treatment, repeat testing after three months, healthy iron-rich diets, newer iron formulations, and implementation research. NITI Aayog Member Dr. M. Srinivas called for collaborative multi-sectoral approach emphasizing micronutrients, dietary diversity, understanding underlying diseases, and using advanced analytics and AI to identify high-burden clusters.
A major outcome was the launch of the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Application and Portal designed for beneficiary-level tracking, follow-up and management. The digital platform will support monitoring of treatment compliance, continuity of care, follow-up until resolution, identification of intervention gaps, and data generation for program review.
The workshop also featured launch of IEC materials and recognition of States/UTs demonstrating strong performance in AMB implementation. Technical sessions covered anemia screening and testing, digital application and data analytics, prophylaxis and deworming, compliance frameworks, and roles across delivery chain. The second day included structured group work organized around three thematic tracks: Jan Bhagidari for community ownership, Inter-ministerial coordination, and Implementation challenges, with states sharing field experiences and innovations.