Iron Deficiency Anemia in Women: A Burden Impeding Growth of India

Abstract

Women provide bulk of health care worldwide both in the formal health care setting as well as informal sector and at home. It’s unfortunate that their own health needs are poorly addressed especially among rural and poor communities. There is need to provide stronger evidence based beneficial broader life course agenda for woman’s health that is not confined to pregnancy and post partum period. Anemia has detrimental effects on the health of women leading to increased maternal mortality, prenatal morbidity, premature delivery and low birth weight etc. The paper focuses on iron deficiency anemia in Indian woman, the highest in the world.