The district administration of Telangana’s Karimnagar has decided to make their region free of anaemia. In order to do so an android app called A Shield has been developed which will help women to monitor and check their haemoglobin levels.

Women and girls will be made aware of this app and motivated to use it. Serving just like a health diary it will remind the user to have their medicines and also provide tips about yoga and health. Apart from this, after a 45-day course is over, the beneficiaries will receive reminder messages on their phones.

To keep the authorities in touch with the severe cases of anaemia, R.V. Karnan, Collector, Garima Agarwal, Additional Collector and Ch. Priyadarshini, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer will be monitoring them personally.

Sharing details about how this app came about, Karnan, said it was due to the Administration and Health Department’s focus on the health of girls and women who are between 14 and 49 years. He said: “There are apps available for diabetic and high BP patients, but none on haemoglobin. We realised the need for the app. The app was developed with the coordination of the additional collector and the health department.”

For this purpose, 2.30 lakh tests were conducted and this exercise was done by 660 Accredited Social Health Activists. The authorities also purchased 770 Sahalis – machines to test haemoglobin levels.

Every ASHA worker conducted 250 to 300 tests and for this they visited homes, schools and colleges.