Door-to-door screening model significantly reduces adolescent girls’ anaemia in Telangana

A community-based screening and treatment campaign in rural Telangana has led to a 15.3 percentage point decrease in anaemia among adolescent girls, presenting a promising alternative to clinic-based supplementation and highlighting the potential of last-mile health interventions.

A door-to-door screening and treatment campaign in rural Telangana cut anaemia among adolescent girls by 15.3 percentage points, according to an ICMR-backed study that offers a possible alternative to routine clinic-based supplementation. The trial, carried out in 14 villages of Medchal-Malkajgiri district, found that prevalence in this group fell from 56% to 40.7%, while haemoglobin levels rose by 1.03 g/dL.

The study, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition and published in BMJ Global Health, tested a “Screen and Treat for Anaemia Reduction” approach in which health workers actively screened residents at community level and delivered iron-folic acid tablets and deworming treatment at home. Researchers said the strategy was designed to bypass the practical barriers that often keep women and girls from repeated visits to primary health centres.

That matters in Telangana, where surveys have long suggested anaemia remains widespread among women of reproductive age. In the study area, the researchers found that one-size-fits-all supplementation was less effective than treatment tailored to haemoglobin status. The biggest gains were seen among adolescent girls, a group considered especially vulnerable because of rapid growth, menstruation and persistent gaps in nutrition.

The findings add weight to a broader public health shift towards targeted, last-mile delivery rather than blanket distribution of supplements. According to reports on the study, the same model also reduced anaemia among women of reproductive age, reinforcing the case for community-based screening in hard-to-reach rural areas.