Anemia

Reports

Photo of a mother holding her child up to her face.

This report summarizes findings from an endline survey carried out in February–March 2017, among 1,359 women in Jumgal district in Naryn oblast, parts of Jalalabad oblast, and Uzgen in Osh ...

Photo of an older woman holding holding a baby to be spoon-fed by a younger woman.

From 2014 to 2018, the SPRING project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), worked in Jalalabad and Naryn oblasts, as well as Bishkek, the capital city of the...

Photo of a man and woman posing outside with their infant child

The SPRING project began working in Sierra Leone in January 2016 through funding from the USAID Bureau for Food Security (BFS).

Cover photo: four teenage girls in their school uniforms, dancing and jumping as they pose for the camera.

Malnutrition among adolescents can adversely affect health and productivity in adult life; among school-going children, micronutrient deficiencies such as iron-deficiency anemia can reduce...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: Uganda
Photo of a mother holding her child wrapped in a blanket on her back.

During our three years of implementation, SPRING/Ghana carried out a successful multi-sectoral program to improve nutrition within the 15 districts of the Upper East and Northern regions...

Photo of about 50-60 women and men standing, facing the camers, on a wide stairway. Caption: "Sierra Leone National Strategy to Prevent and Control Anemia Validation Meeting"

This report identifies challenges and successes of establishing a multi-sectoral anemia platform in Sierra Leone, explores key factors that led to the outcomes, and identifies potential...

Keywords: Anemia, Multi-sector
Location: Sierra Leone

Success Stories

Photo of a group of women holding up SPRING nutrition counseling materials.

When SPRING community activist Chinara Mavlyanova learned that Rano and Zainalabid’s daughter-in-law, Eliza Rysalieva, was pregnant, she began visiting the household, teaching the family...

Photo of two women posing and holding a baby

In the Kyrgyz Republic, 35 percent of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) suffer from some form of anemia.

Briefs

Photo of community health worker showing a mother (holding her young child) the MNP calendar

This brief discusses costing studies for nutrition interventions generally, and highlights how a cost-efficiency study can influence policy decisions.

Location: Uganda
Two Nepali women sit cross-legged on a bench outside what looks like a clinic. One woman holds a roughly 6 month old baby in her lap.

Helen Keller International (HKI) and SPRING presented the DATA tool to the MSNP stakeholders and demonstrated its usefulness for anemia programming in the Kapilvastu district. This report...

Location: Nepal
A grandmother helps her young granddaughter eat her food with a spoon.

During 2014–2017, SPRING undertook four surveys in the target areas to gain knowledge on the current status of a range of indicators related to the nutrition practices among women and...

Location: Kyrgyz Republic
Abdul Nuldin Katongole and Jolly Ruyonga, traders who work with maize millers, read a factsheet on food fortification.

From 2012 to 2017, the SPRING consolidated gains from consecutive successful USAID projects and made fortification the primary platform for delivering micronutrients to the population of...

Location: Uganda

Job Aids and Tools

Protocol cover

New evidence-based recommendations—particularly for prevention and treatment of anemia and parasitic infections—are a part of the revised the national antenatal care (ANC) clinical protocol...

Keywords: Policy, Anemia
Location: Kyrgyz Republic
Page 1 [figure] Coat of arms for Sierra Leone [photos, in center and in upper right] Two different kinds of pumpkin [title] Best Agronomic Practices for Pumpkin [logos] USAID logo: "USAID: United States Agency [for] International Development. USAID. From the American People" SPRING logo: “SPRING. Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally”

These picture-based cards are used to educate members of agribusiness centers and farmer-based organizations on pumpkin production and storage.

Galleries

Two community volunteers impersonate two babies as they perform a skit about the importance of appropriate complementary feeding.

SPRING in the Kyrgyz Republic hosted an event in Bishkek to share important lessons and accomplishments of the project from 2014 to 2018.

News

Photo of the three SPRING team members posing together.

SPRING participated in the CORE Group Global Health Practitioner Conference, delivering a presentation on engaging men for improved nutrition, and sharing research on hemoglobin measurement...

Photo of a family smiling at the camera.

SPRING findings helped catalyze efforts of the National Anaemia Working group.

Keywords: Multi-sector, Anemia
Location: Sierra Leone
Thumbnail image featuring the logo for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health

This year, two SPRING videos received honorable mentions in the 2018 Pulitzer Global Health Video competition for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) conference in New...

Keywords: Anemia, Community media
Image displaying a cascading stack of the front pages for the three articles.

Key participants of the Micronutrient Powders Consultation wrote a series of three articles to discuss and elevate the literature on micronutrient powder implementation research.

Roundtable participants stand in a line and smile at the camera

SPRING/Kyrgyz Republic hosted a round table event to disseminate findings from a series of four surveys, including gains in nutrition outcome indicators.

Events

Micronutrient powders (MNP) are a mixture of micronutrients in single-dose sachets that are mixed in young children's food to reduce anemia and iron deficiency.

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Location: Online
Young girl holding a bowl of food

Iron deficiency is one of the primary causes of anemia, a condition that affects over 1.5 billion people globally. Policymakers who want to address iron deficiency anemia through a food-b

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Online

Journal Articles

Screenshot of the website where this document is housed. Contains the title and authors.

This paper focuses on programmatic experiences in the planning stages of an MNP intervention, encompassing assessment, enabling environment and adaptation, as well as considerations for...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Screenshot of the website where this document is housed. Contains the title and authors.

This paper focuses on programmatic experiences related to MNP delivery (models, platforms, and channels), SBCC, and training. Methods included a review of published and grey literature,...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Screenshot of the website where this document is housed. Contains the title and authors.

This paper focuses on how MNP interventions undertook key elements of programme improvement, specifically, the use of programme theory, monitoring, process evaluation, and supportive...

Keywords: Micronutrient, Anemia

Pages

Resource Review Summaries

This webinar is part of the series: "Agriculture-Nutrition-Health linkages: Research in the African context" produced by ANH Academy and the African Nutrition Society. The presentation...

Keywords: Agriculture, Anemia
Location: Ghana

The Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia (AREA) Community of Practice (COP), facilitated by the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) and moderated by the U.S....

Keywords: Anemia

The 2018 SBCC Summit highlights the essential role SBCC plays in catalyzing change and making progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. This year, the conference will be hosted in...

The Nutrition 2018 conference engages researchers, practitioners, global and public health professionals, policymakers, and advocacy leaders in sharing the latest research in nutrition....

Keywords: Anemia

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the WHO recently released a web-based database to help fill the global gap in evidence on individual quantitative food...

Keywords: Anemia

HarvestPlus developed a new strategic plan detailing key activities and resources needed for scaling up biofortification over the next five years. The strategy was informed by an evidence-...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification

This book, which is free to download at the link below, examines the first 1,000 days and the impact of exposure to malnutrition, environmental enteropathies, and hormonal and other...

On the African continent, one in five people is chronically undernourished. This report reviews the current global situation and policy agenda, highlighting challenges to addressing...

Keywords: Anemia

GAIN Executive Director Lawrence Haddad eloquently summarizes the key issues related to operationalizing micronutrient powders (MNP), drawing on information from SPRING’s report on a global...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

Globally, vitamin A deficiency impacts an estimated 250 million preschool-age children, yet tools to enable early diagnosis are often not available in low resource settings. Cornell...

Keywords: Anemia

Despite steps taken to address the global burden of nutrition, malnutrition and food insecurity remain critical issues, especially among women and children. The 2017 Global Nutrition Report...

Keywords: Anemia, Food security

The WHO released new global guidelines on the use of preventive chemotherapy to decrease soil-transmitted helminth infection in children, adolescent girls, women of reproductive age, and...

Keywords: Anemia

This study explored the impact of providing salt fortified with iron and iodine to Indian children in second grade on anemia and cognition. Baseline and endline data were collected from...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: India

Hepcidin is a liver-derived hormone discovered in the late 2000s, considered to be the master regulator of iron. The article describes the interaction of hepcidin and ferroportin (a...

Keywords: Anemia

In this study, researchers compare sachet count or self-reporting forms to electronic devices for measuring adherence to daily home fortification with micronutrient powders (MNP) and...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification, Micronutrient
Location: Kenya

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) on iron status biomarkers and anemia in children, teenagers, and pregnant...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

Researchers evaluated the accuracy of anemia diagnosis using HemoCue Hb 201+ wicking and gravity blood sampling methods and a noninvasive device. Venous blood samples taken from Rwandan...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Rwanda

This study evaluated sensitivity of a point-of-care (POC) immunoassay (Sickle SCAN) to diagnose sickle cell disease and a first generation POC color-based assay to detect anemia, in...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Tanzania

This study evaluated the effects of adjusting prevalence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) for inflammation alone versus inflammation and malaria during low and high...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Zambia

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding of infants for six months after birth. Breastmilk contains all the nutrients an infant needs in the first six months of life but is low in iron....

Keywords: Anemia, Breastfeeding
Location: Kenya

This study examined three food fortification programs in Latin America to identify lessons learned for the design and implementation of successful fortification programming. Researchers...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification

Current hemoglobin thresholds used to define anemia were originally proposed by the WHO in 1968. Informed by data from studies of predominantly white European and North American populations...

Keywords: Anemia

This study assessed anthropometric measurements and developmental and laboratory outcomes in children born to women who received daily iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation, twice...

This study assessed IFA supplementation programs in seven countries to better understand barriers and enablers for improved coverage and utilization of IFA supplements during pregnancy....

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

This study compared the accuracy of HemoCue Hb301 versus XT-1800i, Mindray BC-3000Plus, or both automated analyzers combined. Researchers collected capillary and venous blood from Laotian...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Laos

The WASHplus project supports healthy households and communities by creating and delivering interventions that lead to significant improvements in access, practices, and health outcomes...

The Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project aims to improve family planning and reproductive health services in low- and middle-income countries by working to change the way family planning...

Keywords: Anemia, Family planning

The Global Atlas of Helminth Infections (GAHI) shows the geographical distribution of neglected tropical diseases transmitted by worms: soil-transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis, and...

Keywords: Anemia

REFINE is a knowledge-sharing mechanism that aims to improve food aid interventions. This repository houses ongoing and published studies on food aid products, programs, and processes.

Keywords: Anemia

The Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia (AREA) Community of Practice (COP), facilitated by the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) and moderated by the U.S....

Keywords: Anemia

The International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) 11th World Congress on Adolescent Health: Investing in Adolescent Health – the Future is Now was held from October 27 – 29, 2017...

Keywords: Anemia

The SPRING project hosted a learning event in Washington, DC, sharing experiences from six years of multi-sectoral leadership and country implementation. At this event, SPRING presented...

Keywords: Anemia

The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a technical consultation in Panamá City, Panamá from October 4 – 6, 2017 that examined the risks associated with excessive intake of supplements...

Keywords: Anemia

From November 29 through December 1, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) will host a technical meeting regarding assessment of anemia status in individuals and...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Switzerland

The 21st International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) was held by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) from October 15 – 20, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the event,...

Keywords: Anemia

Researchers from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Research Triangle Institute, and Cornell University, conducted a study to examine the reasons for adherence to...

Keywords: Anemia

This report discusses the advancements made in the treatment and elimination of neglected tropical diseases. Authors discuss control strategies and five specific public health approaches...

Keywords: Anemia

The findings of this systematic review show that iron bio-fortification consistently improves iron status, across various population groups and contexts. HarvestPlus analyzed trials...

Keywords: Anemia

GAIN Executive Director Lawrence Haddad re-emphasizes the importance of anemia interventions in the face of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, as noted in a recent study. Elevated CO2...

Keywords: Anemia

The Global Fortification Data Exchange (GFDx) was recently launched as a new analysis and visualization tool for actionable data on food fortification. This tool was intended to make...

Keywords: Anemia

When left untreated, malaria can lead to anemia, which can cause developmental delays in children. Researchers evaluated a three-pronged malaria intervention consisting of antimalarial...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Mali

Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have discovered a new and innovative way of fortifying food and drinks with bioavailable iron. They combined protein nanofibrils...

Keywords: Anemia

Hemoglobinopathies are genetic disorders caused by an abnormal structure or production of the hemoglobin molecule, sickle cell anemia being the most common of the disorders. Due to the...

Keywords: Anemia

While iron supplementation can be an effective intervention for anemia, it can also be harmful to those with additional infections, because pathogens feed off of the iron. Oral iron...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Gambia

This brief, developed by SPRING, describes country-led efforts to coordinate and implement anemia prevention and control, offering lessons learned to help other countries design the best...

Heidkamp, R. et al., Journal of Nutrition (September 2017).

Keywords: Anemia

In this study, the authors sought to determine the relationship between soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections and risks for anemia, stunting, wasting, and underweight in children in...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: East Timor

Researchers sought to understand the end-user perspective of iron folic acid (IFA) supplementation and, more specifically, the factors that contribute to low levels of IFA consumption....

Keywords: Anemia

Anemia, iron deficiency, and infections are interconnected conditions that drastically contribute to child morbidity and mortality. In this article, the authors explore current research on...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Africa

Evidence suggests that higher iron stores may lead to a greater risk of malaria. This study, conducted in rural Zambia among children in a biofortified maize trial, assessed the link...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Zambia

This workshop report summarizes the experiences of experts from nine countries around iron interventions in Africa. Infections, parasitism, and poor eating habits are primarily to blame for...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Africa

This study assessed the impact of a local animal-sourced food (ASF) supplement on the micronutrient status of rural, Vietnamese women aged 18-30 years. Participants of this study were given...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Location: Vietnam

Some studies have shown that while micronutrient powder (MNP) with iron has been effective in reducing anemia, it has also caused an increase in harmful effects for the gut microbiome,...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Kenya

This Maternal & Child Survival Program literature review, published in Public Health Nutrition, aimed to review the evidence for community-based distribution (CBD) of iron–folic acid (...

Keywords: Anemia

Researchers conducted a systematic review to examine the health and nutrition outcomes of multiple-micronutrient (MMN) supplements with iron and folic acid (IFA) compared to IFA alone...

Keywords: Anemia

Inflammation caused by infections and chronic conditions can modify the biomarker values used to assess micronutrient deficiencies. These recently published findings from the Biomarkers...

Keywords: Anemia

This study investigated the efficacy of a reusable fish-shaped iron ingot, compared to daily iron supplementation, in reducing anemia in rural Cambodia. Study participants were assigned to...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Cambodia

In this study, the authors investigated the impact of mandatory wheat flour fortification on micronutrient status among women aged 15–49 years and children 12–59 months of age in Yaoundé...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: Cameroon

An enhanced homestead food production (EHFP) program for mothers and children in Nepal resulted in lower rates of anemia at follow-up, compared to those who did not receive the...

Keywords: Anemia, Multi-sector
Location: Nepal

Researchers assessed malaria infection and its health consequences among schoolchildren in Rwanda. While the vast majority of children were asymptomatic at examination, almost a quarter...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Rwanda

This study, conducted in The Gambia, explored the protective nature of iron deficiency anemia against malaria. Findings showed that anemia, more so than sickle-cell trait, hindered the...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient, Supplementation
Location: Gambia

The effects of delayed umbilical cord clamping, compared to early clamping, on iron stores and anemia status in high-risk infants were studied in a randomized control trial in Nepal. The...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Nepal

Researchers sought to determine the most effective regimen of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) against malaria for schoolchildren in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The children...

The Let’s be Well Red study was conducted to determine the effect of iron-supplement bars (containing 14 mg Fe) on anemia status in urban Indian women of reproductive age. The intervention...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia
Location: India

Researchers investigated the efficacy of Vita Mamba, a fortified peanut butter snack, in reducing anemia in school-aged children in rural Haiti. The findings indicated that children were...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: Haiti

This study evaluated three arms of combined preventive malaria and deworming treatment and their effect on anemia and learning outcomes for schoolchildren in Northern Ghana. In Arm 1,...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Ghana

This study examined how preconception weekly iron-folic acid (IFA) and multiple micronutrient (MM) supplements, compare to folic acid (FA) alone during and shortly after pregnancy in...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: Vietnam

Current efforts for controlling soil-transmitted helminths, a risk factor for anemia, have focused on deworming school-aged children, as they tend to be the most vulnerable. However, there...

Keywords: Anemia

The UN Network for the SUN/REACH Secretariat has created the Compendium of Actions on Nutrition (CAN). This collection of possible nutrition actions aims to support countries in...

Keywords: Anemia

This Sight and Life magazine article discusses the multiple causes of anemia and the risks associated with iron supplementation in populations where anemia is prevalent, but iron deficiency...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

This video details the history, biology, and characteristics of sickle cell anemia, a lack of healthy red blood cells caused by genetic mutations. A molecular biologist, Anthony Allison,...

Keywords: Anemia

HarvestPlus commissioned a systematic review on the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency. They found that, contrary to previous belief that iron deficiency accounts for 50%...

Keywords: Anemia

The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science has released a request for proposal for a research activity on the effective delivery of nutrition interventions for adolescent girls and young...

Keywords: Anemia, Adolescents

In Thailand, many of the local source foods do not meet the nutritional needs of children, which can lead to deficiencies in micronutrients such as iron – a major cause of anemia. Thai...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient, Fortification
Location: Thailand

The World Health Organization released global guidance on micronutrient powders (MNP) for children aged 6-23 months and 2-12 years. The guideline recommends MNP with complementary foods for...

The 2016 World Malaria Report highlights several positive trends over the last five years, including better testing of children reporting fevers, expanding access to disease-treating tools...

Keywords: Anemia

The 10th World Congress on Nutrition and Food Sciences will take place in Osaka, Japan, on May 29 – 31, 2017. This conference will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss innovations...

Keywords: Anemia

CORE Group will host the Spring 2017 Global Health Practitioner Conference, Integrated Approaches: The Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Key to Community Health, on April 20 – 21, 2017 in...

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization organized an International Symposium where stakeholders could share country experiences, challenges, and solutions...

Keywords: Anemia, Food systems

The Sokoto and Keppi States’ Ministry of Health hosted a workshop to promote Iron Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation as a protective measure against anemia for pregnant women and women of...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: Nigeria

Anaemia is a public health problem affecting nearly 1.62 billion people globally, mostly women and young children. The World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Target to halve the number of...

Keywords: Anemia

CORE Group’s Global Health Practitioner Conference brought together health advocates to collaborate, discuss ideas, and build partnerships to improve life-saving programs. This fall’s...

Keywords: Anemia, Multi-sector

The Micronutrient Forum Global Conference took place in Cancun on October 24 – 28, 2016. The theme of the event was prioritizing women’s nutrition in order to achieve the Sustainable...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient, Multi-sector
Location: Mexico

The World Health Organization (WHO) released global, evidence-based guidelines on routine antenatal care (ANC) for pregnant women and adolescent girls receiving ANC in a healthcare or...

Keywords: Anemia, Adolescents

Holly McKee, of Bioanalyt, tells of her experience supporting data collection to evaluate Helen Keller International’s Enhanced Homestead Food Production (EHFP) program in Indonesia. The...

The government of Uganda has rolled-out five high iron bean varieties in an attempt to address national iron deficiency anemia especially among women, children, and infants. In Uganda,...

Keywords: Anemia, Agriculture, Fortification
Location: Uganda

The Micronutrient Initiative (MI), in collaboration with the Government of Canada, launched the Right Start program in Senegal, with the goal of reducing anemia in women and adolescent...

HarvestPlus and partners continue to promote biofortification as a sustainable and effective method for improving the nutrition of vulnerable populations through enhanced staple crops. Its...

In Zimbabwe, the government has set national standards for food fortification to address micronutrient deficiencies, especially among children and pregnant women. Fortification efforts will...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: Zimbabwe

This evaluation, conducted by the Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), studied malaria rapid diagnostic tests from...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Uganda

This document provides the most recent WHO guidelines for use of iron supplementation in postpartum women. The guidelines review evidence on safety and effectiveness to support policy-...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

The Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group (HF-TAG) has released a revision to their Toolkit, which guides program planning for Micronutrient Powders (MNP). The toolkit complements...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

This study examined the impact of a food-assisted program on hemoglobin and anemia in children and their mothers in eastern Burundi, and explored impact pathways. The program included food...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Burundi

This study analyzes data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2003 and 2014 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to examine associations between prenatal iron supplementation and/or...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Africa

This study assessed the role of sanitation on nutrition outcomes and anemia status in pregnant Cambodian women. The authors found that women who used an ‘improved’ sanitation facility had...

This study investigated whether text message reminders improved the efficacy of micronutrient powder in western China. Children 6 to 12 months were assigned to receive MNP and text message...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Location: China

In this study, researchers sought to determine if a malaria care improvement intervention had an impact on health outcomes for young children in Tororo, Uganda. The intervention group of...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Uganda

This study investigates the impact of anthelminthic treatment on the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infection, hemoglobin levels, and prevalence of anemia among school-age...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Ethiopia

This paper describes an effective method for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia in low-resource settings using aqueous multiphase systems (AMPS). AMPS is low-cost and rapid, and is more...

Keywords: Anemia

In this study, researchers assessed absorption of therapeutic iron among children in Uganda that were given antimalarial treatment. Children aged 6-59 months with both malaria and anemia...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification, Micronutrient
Location: Uganda

In this study, the authors tested the effectiveness of iron-biofortified beans to improve the iron status of women in Rwanda. The authors found an increase in hemoglobin and body iron...

On January 30, 2016, Peru’s Ministry of Health came together with the Ministry of Education for an event on anemia prevention. The event targeted mothers who coordinate communal kitchens in...

In September 2015, GAIN and the Government of Tanzania co-hosted the first ever Global Summit on Food Fortification in Arusha, Tanzania. This supplement summarizes the proceedings of the...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification
Location: Tanzania

In the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the focus has historically been on low-income countries. However, researchers are finding that the poor in middle-income countries...

Keywords: Anemia

Malaria is a major contributor to the global burden of anemia and must be addressed to maximize anemia reduction efforts. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has released updated,...

Keywords: Anemia

Teenage pregnancy poses a double burden for young women, putting both mother and child at risk of negative nutritional outcomes. The Philippines’ 8th National Nutrition Survey (NNS)...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: Philippines

In this video, Binu Cherian and Parminder Virk of HarvestPlus discuss why biofortification can be an effective measure to help address micronutrient deficiencies, especially as a...

GAIN and the Business for Social Responsibility Change Associates are testing scalable solutions to reduce malnutrition among garment factory workers in Bangladesh. They believe that...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Bangladesh

The World Health Organization (WHO) published global guidance on micronutrient powders (MNP) for point-of-use fortification of foods consumed by pregnant women. The guideline recommends...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

The 2016 Global Nutrition Report sheds light on recent successes and shortcomings in reaching global nutrition targets and provides recommendations for further action to accelerate progress...

Keywords: Anemia

A working paper in the GAIN Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) series, entitled "Strengthening the enabling environment for scaling up access to good quality complementary foods,"...

Researchers examined how anthropometry, iron biomarkers, and serum selenium are linked to cognitive performance in preschool-aged children in rural Ethiopia. Two cognitive tests revealed...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Ethiopia

This paper reviewed income, anemia status in women, and livestock ownership in Afghanistan. Higher economic status, certain ethnicities, and a central geography were all associated with a...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Afghanistan

This study examined the impact of nutrition and hygiene interventions on stunting in full-term low-birthweight infants. Researchers found that hand sanitizer, combined with nutrition,...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Location: Bangladesh

Certain tropical infections are present throughout much of Africa and Asia and can lead to blood-related disorders, such as anemia. Each of these disorders has unique and complex health...

Keywords: Anemia

This report summarizes the global state of anemia from 1990 to 2013 for 23 different etiologies in 188 countries, 20 age groups, and in both males and females. The authors looked at mean...

Keywords: Anemia

This study found that anti-malarial IPTp-SP and iron folic acid supplementation compliance among pregnant women remains low in the Simiyu Region of Tanzania. In interviews with women who...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: Tanzania

This study assessed the diets and iron status of pre-school aged children in rural Ethiopia. The authors found that dietary diversity was quite low and that the children consumed primarily...

Keywords: Anemia, Dietary diversity
Location: Ethiopia

Although the rate of sickle cell anemia (SCA) at birth is high in Tanzania, there is little information on either the severity of its associated complications or options for treatment,...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Tanzania

This study examined the effects of screening for anemia during well baby clinic visits and providing iron supplementation to anemic children in low-resource settings in the Dominican...

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Haemoglobin Colour Scale serves as an affordable, quantitative tool for diagnosing anemia as an alternative to clinical methods. This systematic review...

Keywords: Anemia

This research examines correlations between socioeconomic status of women, anemia prevalence, and potential sources of iron in household diets in Afghanistan. It also explores whether...

Keywords: Anemia, Agriculture, Food systems
Location: Afghanistan

This study explored the determinants of hemoglobin and iron status in Bangladesh, as the prevalence of iron deficiency is quite low, according to the 2011-2012 National Micronutrient Survey...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Bangladesh

This study, conducted on anemic, pre-school aged children in China, analyzed the impact of single-dose albendazole for deworming and vitamin A supplementation on anemia status and iron...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: China

Based on findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study, researchers sought to determine the levels and trends in the leading causes of death and disability among younger children (

Keywords: Anemia

In this study, researchers evaluated the impact of the 1999-2010 scale-up of malaria control interventions in Tanzania. The authors were specifically interested in determining the...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Tanzania

The Uganda Sickle Surveillance Study introduced a simple yet innovative approach to screening infants for sickle cell disease – the most prevalent genetic disorder in the world, and a cause...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Uganda

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the relationship between anemia in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. The authors found a higher risk of low birthweight, preterm birth...

Keywords: Anemia

In this qualitative study, the authors found that health personnel have a great deal of influence on caregivers’ understanding and acceptance of micronutrient powders (MNPs). Home visits...

Keywords: Micronutrient, Anemia
Location: Peru

The Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) trial centers around the premise that environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a main underlying cause of child stunting and...

To prevent pre-eclampsia, a major cause of maternal deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations encourage integrating calcium supplementation into antenatal care (ANC). To...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia
Location: Kenya

HarvestPlus is a global leader in the development of more nutritious and micronutrient-rich varieties of staple food crops. This process, known as biofortification, has proven to be an...

The Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) developed a USAID guidance brief on malaria and anemia control during pregnancy. This brief discusses evidence around the WHO-recommended 0....

Keywords: Anemia

The World Health Organization (WHO) released global guidance documenting the recommended daily iron supplementation in menstruating adult women and adolescent girls as an intervention for...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

The World Health Organization (WHO) published global guidance on the recommended daily iron supplementation in infants and children as an intervention for preventing iron deficiency and...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia

The new eLENA app for iPhone and Android smartphones allows users to access much of the content of eLENA, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions,...

Keywords: Mobile Health, Anemia

There is emerging evidence to suggest that safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices play an imperative role in improving nutrition outcomes, including the treatment and...

Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra, is participating in a nationwide campaign to spread awareness around adolescent anemia. The Weekly Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) Supplement awareness...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia
Location: India

In November 2015, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat, in collaboration with the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), launched an online discussion forum called “en-net” as a...

Keywords: Anemia

SPRING, UNICEF, and the World Food Program (WFP), in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH), launched a home fortification program as a strategy to combat micronutrient...

As part of the home fortification series, HF-TAG, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hosted their sixth webinar, titled “Learnings from...

Keywords: Micronutrient, Anemia

The WHO currently recommends ferritin as the best biomarker for measuring the iron status of populations; however, the recommendation is currently being reviewed and updated. Thus, the “WHO...

Keywords: Anemia

In April, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will convene a technical consultation on Staple crops biofortified with vitamins and...

Keywords: Fortification, Anemia

On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), SPRING organized a micronutritent powders (MNP) consultation to provide contextualized operational guidance on MNP...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

On October 14-16, 2015, FANTA, in collaboration with the International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (iLiNS) Project, hosted a technical meeting, where program implementers and...

Keywords: Anemia

In September 2015, GAIN, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, and Devex teamed up to hold a high-level panel event titled “Harnessing the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships...

Keywords: Anemia

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Government of Tanzania co-hosted a summit in Arusha, Tanzania, to reinvigorate interest, awareness, and investment in food...

Keywords: Anemia

Interventions for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have proven to be a worthwhile public health investment, with significant and achievable returns in health and productivity. The latest...

Keywords: Anemia

SPRING has developed a series of National Anemia Profiles, which provide country-specific information on the causes and burden of anemia, the policy environment, and program indicators. The...

Keywords: Anemia

According to the 2013 National Nutrition Survey, the prevalence of anemia among young children in the Philippines remains high, but there have been significant declines over the past...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient

Despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations on daily iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation during pregnancy, many women are still not receiving or taking the...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

Malaria is one of the leading causes of anemia globally. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has released updated, redesigned country profiles for the 20 focus countries in Africa and...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Africa, Asia

The Food Fortification Initiative conducted a study to evaluate the impact of flour fortification programs on anemia prevalence in non-pregnant women in twelve countries. Findings indicated...

Keywords: Anemia, Fortification

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a report, documenting estimates of the prevalence of anaemia for the year 2011 in preschool-aged children (6-59 months) and women of...

Keywords: Anemia

Intestinal parasitic worms affect roughly 2 billion people and can lead to a number of detrimental health outcomes, including anemia, loss of iron, and poor absorption of nutrients....

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Kenya

In a study conducted at Rice University, bioengineers discovered that hemoglobin concentrations (used to measure anemia severity) produced from a single drop of blood varied widely, and...

Keywords: Anemia

Researchers have developed a diagnostic blood test for micronutrient deficiencies, or “a bacterial litmus test,” that measures levels of zinc in the blood using genetically modified...

Keywords: Anemia

Research has shown that Vitamin D and iron deficiencies frequently co-exist and potential overlapping metabolic pathways may need to be taken into account when designing programs. This...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation

In this community-based study, researchers used a behavior change communication approach to examine the effectiveness of “Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs)” on dietary and iron-folate...

Keywords: Anemia, Supplementation
Location: India

In tropical regions, high rates of iron deficiency and malaria are common, both of which contribute to higher anemia prevalence. This study examined whether iron fortification combined with...

Keywords: Anemia

This study examined predictors of both initial and repeat micronutrient powder (MNP) coverage by comparing two delivery models piloted in rural Nepal: distributing MNPs by female community...

Keywords: Anemia, Micronutrient
Location: Nepal

This study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of iron supplementation during pregnancy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, an area affected by malaria. The authors not only found that iron-...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Tanzania

In this study, researchers sought to further explore the association of anemia with Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm infections in individuals aged 5-90 in Uganda. The authors found that...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Uganda

This systematic review examined the efficacy and safety of intermittent preventive treatment in schoolchildren (IPTsc). The authors found that overall, most IPTsc regimens provided...

Keywords: Anemia

This study investigated the effect of antenatal iron supplementation on maternal Plasmodium infection risk, maternal iron status, and neonatal outcomes in rural Kenya. It was concluded that...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Kenya

Maternal anemia prevents oxygen and nutrients from reaching the placenta-fetus unit, which can lead to obstetrical complications and poor birth outcomes. This cross-sectional study explored...

The supplementation of iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets as part of antenatal care (ANC) is an important intervention for prevention and control of anemia. The results of this 22-survey...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia

Interventions to control helminth infections may have an impact on both malaria and anemia. This study assessed the impact of two anthelmintic treatment approaches (single and repeated...

Keywords: Anemia

Parasitic infections are common in sub-Saharan Africa; they lead to chronic inflammation and may result in anemia by preventing iron recycling and reducing iron absorption. The authors...

Keywords: Anemia

Using data from the National Institutes of Health-funded Maternal and Newborn Health Registry Study in Nagpur, India, this study evaluated whether exposure to smoke from biomass fuel as...

Keywords: Anemia

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ethiopia to determine correlation between maternal and neonatal hematologic profiles and iron status. The authors found that newborns of iron...

Keywords: Anemia

Developed by USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program and the President’s Malaria Initiative, this program brief describes World Health Organization recommendations to prevent malaria...

Keywords: Anemia

Feed the Future worked with health professionals in Honduras to better understand the causes of anemia and identify appropriate preventative measures by conducting household visits to...

Keywords: Anemia

Knorr, the biggest brand of the multinational consumer goods company Unilever, unveiled its commitment to help Nigeria reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia, a major public health...

Keywords: Anemia

This news item highlights the importance of targeting adolescent girls, as we strive to reduce global rates of anemia and reach the World Health Assembly target to reduce anemia by 50...

Keywords: Adolescents, Anemia

The “Hb Meter,” a new mobile app field tested by Africare’s Mwanzo Bora Nutrition Program, is the first non-invasive test for anemia that detects hemoglobin levels using a mobile phone’s...

Keywords: Mobile Health, Anemia

The Lucky Iron Fish Project has introduced a simple and effective tool to increase dietary iron intake without using iron pills: a small metal fish—a symbol of luck in Cambodian culture—...

Keywords: Fortification, Anemia

The Multisectoral Anemia Task Force Secretariat comprises the CORE Group, FANTA, MCHIP, and SPRING, as well as the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and USAID’s Water, Sanitation and...

Keywords: Anemia

A program involving agriculture, nutrition, and health behavior change communication (BCC) is shown to improve child health and nutrition outcomes. This study reveals that an integrated...

As part of a comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has specified six global nutrition targets for 2025. The...

Keywords: Anemia

This qualitative study assessed rural Burkinabe young women’s understanding of anemia and the role of iron in preventing and treating this condition. The study found that women did not...

Keywords: Supplementation, Anemia

The authors aimed to assess hemoglobin levels and the factors associated with anemia in pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in their third trimester in the rural district of Mpigi,...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Uganda

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), collaborating with food and nutrition partners, created the BOND Program to meet the growing need for discovery,...

Keywords: Anemia

The Cost of Hunger in Africa study demonstrates that child nutrition can be a determinant factor in achieving Africa's transformation agenda. The report highlights that undernourished...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: Ethiopia, Uganda

The WHO database on anemia includes data by country on prevalence of anemia and mean hemoglobin concentrations.

Keywords: Anemia

This review examined the current burden of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in India, its epidemiology, and the various issues regarding its prevention and control. The authors conclude that...

Keywords: Anemia
Location: India