Public Health Crisis of Anemia in India: Retrospective Study of Hemoglobin Levels and Impact of Medication Intervention in a School Setting

Background: Anemia has been a pervasive and constant public health crisis in India. Anemia’s prevalence in rural areas is 79% in children and 49.5% in women. A large survey of adolescent girls reported an anemia prevalence of 89%, of which 56% have iron deficiency anemia. The objectives of this study are to understand the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in children and women from rural villages in India and the impact of a medication and health education intervention on hemoglobin levels, utilizing an existing local community structure of a boarding school. Methods: Retrospective study of de-identified hemoglobin data originally collected during a public health clinical care investigation was performed to understand the prevalence of anemia in women and children in rural villages. Participants gave blood samples to measure hemoglobin levels. Analysis of health education and medication intervention consisting Albendazole 200 mg and Autrin Capsule tablets containing cyanocobalamin vitamin B12 (0.1% in gelatin), ferrous fumarate (98.6 mg of elemental iron), and folic acid with lemon water given to 275 female students at Kaneria Boarding School was performed to understand the impact of intervention on hemoglobin levels. Key Results Utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) anemia classification, prevalence of moderate and severe anemia ranged 20-60% amongst women and children. Results from an interventional study showed a statistically and clinically significant increase in hemoglobin levels of 2.848 (p<0.05) in 10 th grade and 2.423 (p<0.05) in 12 th grade students. Conclusions: Understanding the prevalence of anemia in rural regions in India is imperative to focusing therapies targeting iron deficiency anemia. Results of an interventional study utilizing existing community structures such as a school holds promise for future wide-scale iron deficiency anemia interventions.