The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will soon launch a Weekly Iron and Folic Supplementation (WIFS) programme.
The programme, to be implemented across the country, will cover nearly 12 crore adolescents. The Ministry has suggested to the States that a fixed day in a week, preferably a Monday, be earmarked as the day when Iron and Folic Acid tablet is provided to adolescents.

Funding for implementation of the scheme to the States would be provided under the National Rural Health Mission.

The States have been advised to project their fund requirements in the Programme Implementation Plans for the year 2012-13 so that the scheme can be rolled out in the forthcoming financial year.

The key features of WIFS include administration of supervised Weekly Iron-folic Acid Supplements of 100mg elemental iron and 500ug Folic acid; screening of target groups for moderate/severe anaemia and referring these cases to an appropriate health facility; Information and counselling for improving dietary intake and for taking actions for prevention of intestinal worm infestation.

The WIFS programme will serve as an entry point for counselling adolescents and addressing their health and nutrition needs through programmes and platforms like Ministry of Women and Child Development's SABLA and MOHFW's Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health programme and Menstrual Hygiene.

This scheme would be a unique example of national level multi-sectoral, inter-ministerial convergence in terms of joint programme planning, capacity building, monitoring and comprehensive communication component, a government statement said.

Joint capacity building activities involving service providers of stakeholder ministries like the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development will be undertaken, it added.