According to a three-decade study recently published in The Lancet Haematology, one-fourth of the world’s population is likely anaemic, with an increasing number of expecting mothers, young girls and children under the age of five affected.
Anaemia is a deficiency caused by the insufficiency of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to transport oxygen to the body’s tissues. A total of 66.2 per cent of anaemic incidences in 2021 had an iron deficiency as the leading cause, and it affected 825 million women and 444 million men across the globe. Anaemia has numerous primary contributing factors, but the most common cause has been due to the inadequate intake of iron.
Anaemia affected 31.2 per cent of women worldwide in 2021, compared to 17.5 per cent of men. The gender disparity was more prominent throughout the reproductive years (ages 15 to 49), when the frequency of anaemia was 33.7 per cent for women and 11.3 per cent for males. Globally, there has been greater focus on reducing anaemia, but as a group, women and children have seen to have shown the least progress. The factors contributing to the stunted progress include access to nutrition, unmet need for contraception, and the capacity to recognise and address the underlying causes of anaemia.
The study discovered that postpartum haemorrhage and gynaecological conditions were significant causes of anaemia among women of reproductive age. Dietary iron deficiency was the primary cause in children under the age of five. However, hemoglobinopathies, various infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS and malaria were also significant causes of anaemia in areas where this deficiency is common.
According to Dr Theresa McHugh, a scientific writer at IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) who specialises in neonatal and child health, there is a knowledge gap among many young women and girls regarding blood loss during menstruation, insufficient options for effectively managing menstrual problems in those who have them, and a lack of information about how to manage and/or reverse anaemia when it occurs. Anaemia can also affect mental health since the resulting weakness and exhaustion makes it difficult to engage in preferred activities.