Strategies to prevent anaemia: recommendations from an expert group consultation

Overview

In 2011, WHO estimated that over 200 million women of reproductive age (191 million non-pregnant women and 11.5 million pregnant women) in the SEAR were anaemic. The adverse effects of anaemia, such as poor pregnancy outcomes, cognitive impairment and reduced work capacity impacts on both health and economic development. Anaemia due to iron deficiency is among the top 10 leading causes of years lost to disability in low- and middle-income countries, and the 7th leading cause of years lost to disability in women. WHO estimates that 12.8% of maternal death could be attributed to anemia.

Anaemia in women and children is a moderate public health problem in some countries in the South- East Asia Region (Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), while others (India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Timor Leste) face a severe public health problem. While nutritional anaemias are widely regarded as the most prevalent, inflammation caused by infections, and genetic causes such as haemoglobinopathies also contribute.