Chapter 2 Sustainable Development Goal 2.2: Malnutrition
2.4 ANAEMIA AMONG WOMEN AGED 15 TO 49 YEARS
Anaemia refers to low levels of haemoglobin in the blood. It is a complex condition with a wide variety of causes that includes iron deficiency as well as other nutritional deficiencies, infections, inflammation, gynaecological and obstetric conditions, and inherited red blood cell disorders. Failure to reduce anaemia may result in millions of women experiencing impaired health and quality of life, and may impair children’s development and learning. Among pregnant women, iron-deficiency anaemia is also associated with adverse reproductive outcomes such as preterm delivery, low-birth-weight infants, and decreased iron stores for the baby, which may lead to impaired development.
The latest estimates available show that the prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 years in Africa (38.9 percent) was higher than the global estimate (29.9 percent) in 2019. The prevalence of anaemia was especially high in Western Africa (51.8 percent) and Central Africa (43.2 percent) (FIGURE 16 and TABLE 10). Globally, the prevalence of anaemia reversed its downward trend since 2000 with a slight deterioration between 2015 and 2019. Southern Africa and Eastern Africa experienced similar deteriorations while Northern Africa remained at the same prevalence level. Western Africa and Central Africa have made some progress over the same period.
Almost all countries in Africa except Burundi, Mauritius and Tunisia made some progress during the past two decades in reducing the prevalence of anaemia (FIGURE 17). However, in all countries but Rwanda, anaemia was still a moderate public health problem (prevalence of between 20.0 percent and 39.9 percent) or a severe one (prevalence greater than or equal to 40.0 percent) as of 2019 (WHO, 2023).
FIGURE 16
Prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 years in Africa by subregion
NOTE: The estimates refer to women aged 15 to 49 years, including pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating women, and were adjusted for altitude and smoking. WHO defines anaemia in pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration below 110 g/L at sea level and below 120 g/L for non-pregnant and lactating women. SOURCE: WHO. 2021. Global anaemia estimates, Edition 2021. In: WHO | Global Health Observatory (GHO) data repository. [Cited 20 April 2023]. www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children Download: https://doi.org/10.4060/CC8743EN-fig16
TABLE 10
Prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 years (percent)
2000
2005
2010
2012
2015
2020
2022
World
5.3
5.6
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.6
5.6
Africa
6.2
6.6
5.2
5.0
4.9
4.8
4.9
Central Africa
5.8
6.4
4.7
4.5
4.4
4.5
4.6
Eastern Africa
5.4
5.5
4.2
3.9
3.7
3.6
3.6
Northern Africa
10.4
12.4
12.2
11.8
11.7
12.0
12.3
Southern Africa
11.1
11.4
12.1
12.3
12.2
11.7
11.4
Western Africa
4.5
4.7
2.4
2.3
2.3
2.3
2.4
NOTE: The estimates refer to women aged 15 to 49 years, including pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating women, and were adjusted for altitude and smoking. WHO defines anaemia in pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration below 110 g/L at sea level and below 120 g/L for non-pregnant and lactating women. SOURCE: WHO. 2021. Global anaemia estimates, Edition 2021. In: WHO | Global Health Observatory (GHO) data repository. [Cited 20 April 2023]. www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children
FIGURE 17
Prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 years in Africa by subregion and country
NOTE: The estimates refer to women aged 15 to 49 years, including pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating women, and were adjusted for altitude and smoking. WHO defines anaemia in pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration below 110 g/L at sea level and below 120 g/L for non-pregnant and lactating women. SOURCE: WHO. 2021. Global anaemia estimates, Edition 2021. In: WHO | Global Health Observatory (GHO) data repository. [Cited 20 April 2023]. www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/anaemia_in_women_and_children Download: https://doi.org/10.4060/CC8743EN-fig17
