KARACHI:
Anaemia is a serious global public health issue, which affects young children, menstruating adolescent girls, pregnant women and postpartum women. As of 2018, approximately 43% of non-pregnant women of reproductive age and over 49% of children between the ages of 6 months to 4 years were iron deficient in Pakistan. Anaemia stems from the lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
Haemoglobin is a protein found in red cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body. Anaemia can cause tiredness, weakness and shortness of breath. The causes of anaemia include iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, certain medicines, and destruction of red blood cells earlier than normal, long-term chronic diseases, pregnancy, problems with bone marrow, etc.
In Pakistan, nutrients are not a priority for low and middle-income families that can hardly afford two square meals a day. Poor healthcare support further prevents people from seeking timely intervention and assistance. Successive governments have failed to address this public health issue effectively. The federal and provincial healthcare departments should work with non-governmental and private healthcare organisations to improve awareness as well as provide access to adequate support and consultation.
Farah Naz
Turbat
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2023.
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