Nearly Half of Women of Reproductive Age in India Anemic

In India, as many as 48.1 percent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, which is only slightly less than the prevalence percentages in West African nations of Guinea and Nigeria, says the Global Nutrition Report 2016.

In the countries ranked from lowest to highest in prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age, India figures at 170 while Senegal at 185 tops with 57.5 percent. Right after India is Guinea with 48.4 percent followed by Nigeria at 48.5 percent and other African nations.

‘Global nutrition targets for 2025 envisages cutting down anemia in women of reproductive age by 50 percent.’

Pakistan (51.1 percent) and Uzbekistan (51.7 percent) are the other Asian nations besides India with high prevalence percentages.

Neighbours Bangladesh (43.5 percent) and Bhutan (43.7 percent) are slightly better off. The US has the lowest prevalence with 11.9 percent.

The Global Nutrition Report is an annual assessment of countries' progress in meeting global nutrition targets established by the World Health Assembly (WHA) and commitments made at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2013.

The report indicates India is off course to meet the anemia reduction target of the WHA to which it is a signatory.

The study notes: "Anemia is declining so slowly that at current rates we will reach the global target closer to 2130 than 2030."



Source: IANS