Health and Family Welfare Minister Ambumani Ramadoss informed the Lok Sabha the other day that 69.5 per cent of children in the age group of six to 59 months are suffering from anaemia of which 63 per cent are in the urban areas and 71.5 per cent in the rural areas. Anaemia is a multifaceted problem. The reasons cited for widespread anaemia are inadequate consumption of green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits. Concerned by the whopping number of children in the age group of six to 59 months suffering from anaemia, the government is taking several steps, including providing supplementary and fortifying food and vitamins supplements to rectify the malady. This is also a fact that a large number of people from rural areas are suffering due to anaemia. In absence of proper education, the problem has assumed alarming proportions. Even though under the reproductive and child health programme (RCH-11) the government is providing iron and folic acid tablets to all pregnant and lactating women and pre school children to control anaemia. Children in the age group of six to 10 years would be provided with 30 mg iron and 250 mg of folic acid, while adolescents in the age group of 11-18 years would receive the same dose as adults, the health minister said. The minister said they are planning to provide vitamin A supplements to children till five years of age. Also, health ministry has launched a pilot project on fortification of micronutrients with flour and oil. Ramadoss informed that the government was planning a huge awareness campaign on breast-feeding and the women health volunteers have been asked to inform the villagers to use locally nutritious food. Even the children born in affluent families are anaemic.