LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- Eighty-nine per cent of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia, with 26.6% having mild anaemia, 42.6% moderate anaemia, and 19.3% severe anaemia. This was found in a comprehensive study conducted on 150 urban and rural adolescent girls by Centre of Excellence for Adolescent Health and Development (CoE-AHD) at Queen Mary's Hospital (QMH), King George's Medical University (KGMU). It was led by nodal officer CoE-AHD, Dr Sujata Deo and counselor Saumya, under the guidance of Prof Anju Agrawal, head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, QMH, stated a press release on Monday. Apart from sharing the statistics about anaemia, Prof Anju Agarwal said that the study finds that only 26% of girls consume green leafy vegetables daily, and merely 16.6% consume vitamin C regularly. Also, 25% of the girls eat junk food daily, while 71% occasionally replace regular meals with junk food. Besides, 52.6% of girls took iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets, and 43.3% took albendazole. Despite 74% of girls being aware of anemia, they remained affected, it stated. Dr Sujata Deo emphasizes that adolescence is a critical phase, and malnutrition can impact not only physical growth but also future education, productivity, and maternal health. The study suggests mandatory nutrition education and health counseling in schools and communities, regular provision of IFA and albendazole to adolescent girls, and awareness programmes for families on the importance of balanced diets and avoiding junk food, it stated further. Prof Deo also stated that this study has been sent for publication in a medical journal....