Ghana faces high anemia in women and children

Ghana has a high prevalence of anemia among women and children, despite years of intensified government measures to address the issue, according to a report.

   About 41 percent of women aged 15 to 49 in Ghana have anemia, with 51 percent of pregnant women affected, as revealed in a sub-report from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey released by health authorities on Wednesday.

   The report said that 49 percent of children aged six to 59 months are anemic. The consequences of anemia in adults, including fatigue and lethargy, pose significant risks, particularly for pregnant women, leading to increased maternal mortality and poor birth outcomes.

   Chris Opoku Fofie, deputy director for Reproductive and Child Health at the Ghana Health Service, said after releasing the report that the country needs to prioritize the issue of anemia in women and children due to its consequences.

   “We need to start by administering iron tablets to adolescent girls to control and eliminate anemia in them before they reach the reproductive stage. And women should also ensure that their hemoglobin levels are normal, and deal with possible anemia before getting pregnant,” Fofie said