[Anemia in Third World children]

The number of persons suffering from anaemia in the world is estimated at fifty million to one billion. Most of these are children, since they are more vulnerable than adults as regards nutrition and they constitute the bulk of the population in developing countries. Depending on the region, the prevalence of anaemia among children varies from 15 to 25 p. 100 in Latin America and Indonesia and from 70 to 80 p. 100 in Africa south of the Sahara desert and in India. Anaemia results from multiple deficiencies simultaneously involving iron, folic acid and proteins. The responsibility of each of these deficiencies is difficult to determine and probably varies from one region to another. The causes of these deficiencies are multiple; they include insufficient intake, inadequate absorption, increased needs and excessive losses. The only efficient measure would be an improvement in the level of life.