According to the WIFS program, what is the weekly dose of iron and folic acid?

MP CHO -2019 (Shift-1)

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: MP CHO -2019 (Shift-1)

Explanation

The Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program, a key initiative by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, recommends a standard weekly dose to combat anemia.
The prescribed dosage for the target group of adolescents (10-19 years) is one tablet containing 100 mg of elemental iron and 500 mcg of folic acid.
This prophylactic dose is administered once a week throughout the year to prevent iron deficiency and its consequences on growth and development.

Option B: This dosage (50 mg iron and 100 mcg folic acid) is sub-therapeutic and insufficient for preventing anemia in adolescents, whose iron requirements are high due to rapid growth.
Option C: This option presents an incorrect and non-standard combination of iron and folic acid. The WIFS program uses a fixed, evidence-based formulation.
Option D: While the iron dose (100 mg) is correct, the folic acid dose (150 mcg) is significantly lower than the recommended 500 mcg. Folic acid is crucial for red blood cell formation, and the correct dose is essential for the supplement's efficacy.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Dosage guidelines of the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are central to the success of community health programs like WIFS. Their role includes health education, supervising administration, managing side effects, and ensuring compliance to break the intergenerational cycle of anemia.
Common side effects like nausea or black stools can lead to non-compliance. Nurses must educate beneficiaries that these are expected and harmless, and advise taking the tablet after a meal to minimize discomfort.
What if? If an adolescent on the WIFS program is diagnosed with severe anemia (e.g., Hemoglobin less than 7 g/dL), the weekly prophylactic dose is no longer sufficient. The nursing action would be to refer the adolescent to a medical officer for evaluation and initiation of a daily therapeutic iron regimen, which is a much higher dose.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for a specific factual detail: the dosage for the 'WIFS program'.
Recognize that this is a knowledge-based recall question related to a national health program in India.
Access your knowledge about the WIFS guidelines, specifically focusing on the composition of the weekly Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) tablet.
Carefully evaluate each option, paying attention to both the iron (mg) and folic acid (mcg) values.
Eliminate options that do not match the standard dose. The correct answer must have both components right.
Select the option that precisely matches the official WIFS guideline: 100 mg of elemental iron and 500 mcg of folic acid.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Dosage guidelines of the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program.
Stem keywords: WIFS program, weekly dose, iron, folic acid
Lead-in keywords: what is

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