What is anemia?

Anaemia-bloedarmoede

Anemia means the blood carries too little oxygen. There are too few healthy red blood cells, or too little hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen through the body. Anemia is very common: worldwide, 40 percent of children aged 6 to 59 months have anemia, as do 37 percent of pregnant women and 30 percent of women aged 15 to 49.

Causes of anemia

  • Iron deficiency: the most common cause, mostly due to too little iron in the diet or poor absorption.
  • Shortage of other nutrients, such as folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin A.
  • Infections such as malaria, intestinal worms, HIV and tuberculosis.
  • Blood loss, for example through menstruation or childbirth.
  • Inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Consequences of anemia

Anemia makes children and adults tired, weak and dizzy. In young children, severe anemia can harm cognitive and motor development. Children with anemia often have more trouble concentrating and learning at school. In pregnant women, anemia increases the risk of a low birth weight and premature birth. In adults it lowers the capacity to work.

How to prevent anemia

  • Eat iron rich food every day, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, dark green leafy vegetables and iron fortified flour.
  • Combine iron rich food with fruit or vegetables rich in vitamin C, which improves iron absorption.
  • Avoid tea and coffee with meals, because they reduce iron absorption.
  • Prevent and treat malaria and intestinal worms.
  • Use iron or folic acid supplements only on the advice of a health worker, for example during pregnancy.
  • Space pregnancies at least 24 months apart, and delay clamping of the umbilical cord at birth by at least one minute.

The role of local, plant-based food

Plant foods contain non-heme iron. The body absorbs this type of iron less easily than iron from meat or fish, but smart combinations help a lot. Eat beans, lentils and leafy greens such as amaranth or moringa together with guava, papaya, orange, tomato or pepper. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting grains and legumes lowers the phytate content and improves the absorption of iron and zinc. Vitamin B12 does not occur in plant foods, so a mostly plant-based diet needs a reliable B12 source, such as fortified food or a supplement.

What Green Food Foundation does

We work with local NGOs in Nepal, Uganda, Kenya, India and Tanzania. Through train the trainer programmes we teach health workers and mother groups how to prepare nutritious, iron rich meals with local products, and we help set up vegetable gardens. Read more about how we work or support our work against malnutrition.

Sources

  • WHO. Fact sheet: Anaemia, 2025.
  • Stevens GA, et al. National, regional, and global estimates of anaemia by severity in women and children for 2000 to 2019. The Lancet Global Health, 2022.
  • WHO. Fact sheet: Malnutrition.