Nearly 23% Indians may be anaemic, finds study

Representative image.

Much in line with the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) findings on the alarming levels of anaemia among women and children in the country, a study by a leading diagnostic provider has shown that nearly 23 percent of the people may be suffering from iron deficiency in the country.

The study by Metropolis Healthcare, by testing the iron content in the blood samples of 4,25,444 people, found that over 22.7 percent had iron deficiency. The study was conducted between January 2018 and July 2022.

Around 50 percent of children up to the age of 12 years were found to be iron-deficient while women were significantly more anaemic than men, the study shows.

Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry, closely followed by Rajasthan, have the highest percentage of anaemic patients, the study found.

The NFHS-5 study was based on a large-scale survey in 14 states and Union Territories, between 2019 and 2021. Parts of the report were released in May this year.

It showed that nearly 53 percent kids aged 6 months-5 years was anaemic in urban areas while this percentage was over 57 percent in case of children in rural areas.

The percentage of anaemic kids in rural India, in fact, has grown from the 54.2 percent found in NFHS 4, the survey showed.

The government-run survey also revealed that 36.5 percent urban men and 41 percent of women aged 15-49 years were anaemic. For men, this percentage was 21.4 and 21.5 percent, respectively.

Reasons to worry

Anaemia, a major public health problem in a developing country like India, is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the hemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.

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Hemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen and for someone with too few or abnormal red blood cells, or not enough hemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.

This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, among others.

The most common causes of anaemia include nutritional deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency. Deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes. Haemoglobinopathies and infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and parasitic infections are other triggers.

Dr Kirti Chadha, Chief Scientific Officer with Metropolis, stressed that percolation of information in the form of data analytics and nuanced scientific insights can help in creating awareness among a larger population on common health-related concerns like anaemia.

Accurate diagnosis of degree and cause is the key, which begins with the screening of Complete Blood Count  (CBC) and peripheral blood smear examination by pathologists followed by specialised tests to deep dive into the cause, she said.

“Though nutritional deficiency and chronic diseases are primary causes, there are many areas where active intervention will improve overall health, well-being, and efficiency of our citizens, especially the more vulnerable,” said Chadha.

“The release of this study is an effort by Metropolis to support the goals of the government in reducing the burden of anaemia across the country,” he said.