Anaemia

What is Anaemia?
Anaemia is a condition where the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin level is below normal, reducing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to tissues. This leads to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Factors such as age, sex, altitude, smoking, and pregnancy affect optimal haemoglobin levels.

Causes
Anaemia can result from nutrient deficiencies (e.g., iron, folate, vitamins B12 and A), infections (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis, HIV), chronic diseases, inflammation, or inherited blood disorders. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional cause.

Who is Affected?
Anaemia is a global health issue, especially for children, menstruating women, pregnant women, and postpartum women. Around 40% of children aged 6–59 months, 37% of pregnant women, and 30% of women aged 15–49 years are anaemic globally.

Health and Social Impacts
Anaemia can:

Reduce cognitive and physical development in children.
Decrease productivity in adults.
Increase maternal and child mortality risks.
Contribute to stunting, low birth weight, and obesity due to low energy levels.
Prevention and Treatment

Effective strategies include:

Increasing dietary diversity.
Fortifying foods with micronutrients like iron and folic acid.
Treating underlying causes such as infections and chronic diseases.
Improving water, sanitation, hygiene, reproductive health, and addressing poverty and education gaps.
Global Efforts
WHO’s guidelines focus on prevention and treatment through coordinated actions across sectors, including governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and the private sector, to reduce anaemia prevalence and improve health worldwide.

For more information, please visit the WHO Health Topics section: https://www.who.int/health-topics