The Silent Anaemia Epidemic in Children

Abstract

Abstract:-

Anaemia (haemoglobin level < 11 g/dl) is a silent epidemic that affects about 293.1 million children aged <5 years worldwide with 28.5% of those located in sub-Sahara Africa. Child hood Anaemia is associated with poor cognition, reduced growth, problems with immune function and ultimately decreased survival. Uganda’s childhood Anaemia is insidious, multifactorial and undefined. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence, severity and leading cause of Anaemia amongst children ≤ 12 years attending Virika hospital. The cross-sectional study employed both qualitative and semi-quantitative methods. Participants were sampled by convenience and simple random techniques. Parents were given short interviews to obtain participants demographic and necessary information. Blood, stool and anthropometric measurements were obtained from the participants and tested for complete blood count, malaria, HIV, sickle cell disease, helminthes and malnutrition respectively. Data was analyzed using Excel computer program. Results show that Prevalence of Anaemia in children is high, presenting mostly in moderate form. Malnutrition plays a major role in the development of Anaemia. Nutritional support and awareness are key aspects in prevention of Anaemia development and progression. Other control interventions may include provision of improved diagnostic tests, optimizing compliance, appropriating referral practices, implementation of standard treatment guidelines and research.