Webinar: Evidence to practice – aligning anaemia reduction efforts in Africa

Background

Anaemia is a condition caused by many factors, which can be categorized broadly as nutritional and non-nutritional. Iron and other nutrient deficiencies form most of the nutritional causes and infections (e.g. malaria, helminths, and others), inflammation,  blood loss due to gynecological and obstetric conditions, and genetic blood disorders fall into the category of non-nutritional causes. Progress in anaemia reduction has stalled as programmes have typically focused solely on addressing anaemia due to nutritional iron deficiency, failing to adequately address other contributing causes. Research on the biology, assessment, and effective interventions to address anaemia has outpaced their timely adoption into programmes. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the WHO African region, anaemia affects around:

• 60% of children (6–59 months of age)
• 46% of pregnant women
• 40% of women (15–49 years of age)

Preventing and controlling anaemia requires an understanding of the causes of anaemia in each setting and developing comprehensive programmes to address these context-specific causes. Governments and donor agencies have made large investments to reduce anaemia. Despite decades of global research into its prevalence, causes, and consequences, it remains an urgent public health problem.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization launched Accelerating anaemia reduction: a comprehensive framework for action, which recommends urgent and coordinated action across sectors, such as food and agriculture, environment, education, and social protection, and highlights the importance of taking a comprehensive approach within the broader context of promoting gender equality, empowerment of women and girls, greater equity, poverty eradication, inclusive economic growth, and human rights protections. Additionally, WHO and UNICEF established the Anaemia Action Alliance to foster accelerated and coordinated efforts to reduce anaemia, including through implementation of the comprehensive framework.

In this webinar, members of the Anaemia Action Alliance–the World Health Organization, USAID-funded NuMERAL project, Nutrition International and its partner, the African Union Commission, and UNICEF–will share the latest evidence and experiences in addressing anaemia through a multi-sectoral lens in Africa.

Moderator

Vilma Tyler, UNICEF

Speakers

• Laetitia Ouedraogo Nikiema –  WHO Regional Office for Africa
• Denish Moorthy – USAID NuMERAL Project
• Daniel Lopez de Romaña – Nutrition International
• Gertrude Kara – African Union Commission
• Simeon Nanama – UNICEF West and Central Africa Region
• Lisa Rogers – WHO 

Presentations and panel discussion

• WHO Comprehensive framework for action: accelerating anaemia reduction
• An ecological approach to anaemia reduction – USAID-funded anaemia reduction projects
• Landscape analysis of anaemia efforts in Africa
• African Union Commission – Strategic framework for prevention and management of anaemia in Africa
• UNICEF’s Regional operational guide on maternal anaemia in the West and Central African Region
• Overview of the Anaemia Action Alliance
• Acting on anaemia: How can we address anaemia effectively?

Organizer

The Anaemia Action Alliance

Simultaneous interpretation in English and French languages will be provided during the webinar.