HMA’s expert, Dr. Tamás Palicz, was also among the authors of an article on prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity and cause, published in the July 2023 issue of The Lancet Haematology.
Anaemia is a widespread global health problem associated with poor health outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and substantial health and economic costs. Anaemia in pregnancy is associated with increased rates of preterm labour, postpartum haemorrhage, low birthweight, short gestation, stillbirth, and infections for both child and mother. Anaemia in children is linked with impaired cognitive and motor development and susceptibility to infections, potentially increasing the risk of mortality during childhood from severe infections, such as those due to malaria. Symptoms of anaemia in adults include weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and challenges with work and activities of daily life. Anaemia in older adults (>65 years) is an identified risk factor for hospitalisation, poorer surgical outcomes, and increased all-cause mortality.
Anaemia can be caused by numerous conditions that result in blood loss, reduce the lifespan of red blood cells, or trigger reductions in the synthesis of haemoglobin or red blood cells. Chronic inflammation can lead to hepcidin-mediated inhibition of iron absorption that renders oral iron administration ineffective, and some data suggest that iron supplementation could increase susceptibility to malaria and potentially to other acute inflammatory conditions. Despite the complexity of underlying causes of anaemia, most anaemia reduction strategies have focused only on iron delivery, probably because iron deficiency is a common manifestation of anaemia in most countries and dietary interventions are comparatively simple.
This study presents the most up-to-date and complete estimates of global anaemia burden, covering 204 countries and territories, 25 age groups, and male and female sexes from 1990 to 2021. The authors provide a comprehensive account of anaemia prevalence, associated years lived with disability, and the trends in these values, including an examination of underlying causes of anaemia and associations with Socio-demographic Index. The previous estimates are improved by adding numerous data sources, and revised modelling techniques to strengthen estimates in locations and populations in which data are sparse. Causal attribution models included additional causes of anaemia, amended methods for estimating cause-specific anaemia burden, and optimised redistribution algorithms to account for the varied effect of different diseases on haemoglobin concentrations.
Read the full article here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhae/article/PIIS2352-3026(23)00160-6/fulltext