Anaemia responsible for 40% deaths during childbirth

KARACHI:

Almost 80 per cent of pregnant women coming to hospitals are anaemic, said Karachi Medical and Dental College Chairperson Professor Dr Tazeen Abbas.

He was speaking at a seminar organised on World Anemia Day under the Continuous Medical Education (CME) of Jinnah Sindh Medical University.

Some of these women are so frail that their life and fetus is in danger, Dr Abbas said, adding 40% of deaths during childbirth are due to anaemia.

He said the leading causes of anaemia are hunger, lack of a healthy diet, worms in the digestive system, repeated pregnancies without a break, conceiving more than one child at a time, chronic malaria, and the use of aspirin.

Besides women, Prof Tazeen said, anaemia can affect people of any age, including children, teenagers and men. Therefore, people must take care of their health and consult doctors in time if they feel constant fatigue, shortness of breath, weakness and other related factors.

JSMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Amjad Siraj Memon said that more than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from anaemia, about 30% of the world's total population. He said that people suffering from anaemia could return to a healthy life by caring for their health and following doctors' instructions.

CME Additional Director Dr Rahat Naz said that the rate of anaemia among urban women is slightly better than that of rural women.

All the women who came to the JSMU Medical and Relief Camp organised by Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Mithi, and other villages of Sindh were found to be deficient in blood and vitamins, which Jinnah Sindh Medical University also gave free medicines.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2022.