Prevalence of anaemia in semi-urban areas of Peshawar, Pakistan: a challenge for health professionals and policy makers.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a serious problem among Pakistani children. Pre-intervention haematological status of children under two years was assessed as part of a double-blind, randomized controlled community-based study conducted in two semi-urban areas of Peshawar. The primary objective was to assess the impact of iron deficiency anaemia and iron intervention on growth and morbidity. Three hundred and twenty children who met the criteria of a "healthy child" were recruited for the study. Blood samples were drawn from 275 children for haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin (SF) analyses. The children were classified as anaemic (Hb < 11 g/dl); iron deficient (SF < 12 ng/ml) and iron deficient anaemic (Hb < 11 g/dl and SF < 12 ng/ml). Ninety percent of the children were anaemic, 67% iron deficient and 63% iron deficient anaemic. Anaemia was more prevalent in boys who had significantly lower Hb and SF values than girls. The magnitude of anaemia in these children tended to increase with age. The study demonstrates that iron deficiency is the predominant cause of anaemia (69%) in children under two years. Minimization of iron deficiency anaemia should be a public health priority in order to prevent suffering of children and avert the associated cognitive and physical deficits in child development.