However, progress in reducing anaemia had been slow, and the world was not on track to reach the global target. Anaemia increases the risk of infections and death, impairs cognitive performance, and causes extreme fatigue, poor pregnancy outcomes, loss of earnings, and poor growth and development. According to WHO, this is a strong indicator of overall health.
Most works on addressing anaemia had been focused on the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency. However, anaemia is a complex condition with multiple causes, including other nutritional deficiencies, infections, inflammation, gynaecological and obstetric conditions, and inherited red blood cell disorders. All must be addressed to effectively prevent and treat anaemia, stressed Mr Branca.
WHO's new framework had set out ways to address the direct causes, risk factors, and broad social inequities that were fundamental drivers of anaemia. It highlighted the comprehensive approach that brought together multiple sectors and actors and laid out key action areas to improve the coverage and uptake of interventions. "
Acknowledging that health remains the predominant sector for delivering many of the recommended interventions, the framework also proposes actions that other societal stakeholders can take. These include governments, civil society, academia, researchers, funding agencies, international organisations, and the media. Each has its particular role to perform in reducing anaemia and keeping people healthy," it said.
The new framework was launched during the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2023, held in Cape Town, South Africa. The WHO statement noted that anaemia was most prevalent in low and middle-income countries. Thus, the framework aimed to address the multiple factors that contribute to anaemia, including poor nutrition, inadequate healthcare services, poor sanitation, and high rates of infections.
Dr Branca emphasised that the framework was a significant step towards reducing anaemia's prevalence and improving the overall health and well-being of women and young children worldwide. The WHO noted that comprehensive interventions could prevent and treat anaemia effectively. Therefore, it called for collective action from various stakeholders to achieve the global target of reducing anaemia prevalence by 50% in women of reproductive age by 2025.