Regional operational guidance on children aged 6-59 months anemia
Subnational mapping for targeting anemia prevention among children aged 6-59 months in West and Central Africa
Highlights
In West and Central Africa (WCA) region, approximately 68% of children aged 6-59 months suffer from anemia, based on the previous WHO Hemoglobin concentrations classification from 2011. This rate is significantly higher than the global average of 40%. Despite World Health Assembly's goal to halve anemia prevalence among non-pregnant women by 2025 and ongoing efforts, there is no global target for child anemia. This highlights a gap in global health priorities, contributing to a disproportionately high child anemia rate, showing little progress over time. This study aims to support efforts to prioritize and enhance the geographical targeting of anemia prevention programs in 17 West and Central African countries. Using the newly updated WHO cut-off published in March 2024, the study mapped any, moderate, and severe forms of anemia. The Annual Average Rate of Reduction (AARR) was calculated for each country.
By analyzing data on child anemia prevention interventions and relevant country-specific contextual factors from each country, this report offers recommendations to improve the design and implementation of child anemia prevention strategies. Countries with higher anemia prevalence have shown limited progress in reducing its incidence since 2000, highlighting the need to better understand the underlying factors contributing to this stagnation, despite ongoing intervention efforts over the past two decades. A detailed mapping of Multiple Micronutrient Powders (MNPs) distribution uncovered area mismatches between the allocation of MNPs interventions and the areas with high burden of child anemia. Focusing efforts on regions with the highest need before expanding to broader areas will be more cost-effective and manageable in terms of logistics and supply chain challenges. This approach serves as a starting point for proposing practical solutions to facilitate the smooth implementation of child anemia reduction efforts. With further analysis, including cost-effectiveness assessments, more efficient interventions can be developed within a limited funding context.
