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Helen Kraemer

Iron Deficiency Anemia In Global Health


 

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency often causes low blood cell levels. (anemia)


To produce hemoglobin and red blood cells, your body needs iron and without enough iron, red blood cells can't carry enough oxygen to body tissues which can cause you to feel tired and weak.

If left untreated, iron-deficiency anemia can cause serious health problems. Having too little oxygen in the body can damage organs. With anemia, the heart must work harder to make up for the lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin. This extra work causes heart failure and development delays in children.


How iron deficiency anemia became such a big problem

I think the answer may lie in the fact that the major religions in India are Hinduism and Buddhism as well as Jainism and Sikhism. All these people are vegetarian so no iron is obtained from meat or fish sources. That leaves vegetables, and it must be difficult to get enough iron through this source alone. The variation in the amount of recommended supplementary iron intake probably relates to dietary differences. Less iron supplementation is needed in US where most of us eat meat, more iron supplementation is needed in India where most people are vegetarian.


Why help?

Iron deficiency is the 6th most common life loss condition in India. What makes it so special is that It is one of the only conditions that can be treated easily with a simple solution. (pills)


Since it mostly affects women and children, the impact of anaemia is best understood by looking at maternal deaths and school dropout rates. It was the top cause of maternal deaths in India (50%) and the associate cause in 20% of maternal death.



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