IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA AMONG CHILDREN IN UZBEKISTAN: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DYNAMICS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most common nutritional and hematological conditions among children and negatively affects physical and psychomotor development, immunity and learning ability. This review analyzes the dynamics of anemia prevalence in Uzbekistan, its risk factors and the results of prevention measures based on published sources. In the 1996 national Demographic and Health Survey, 60.8% of children aged 6–59 months had a hemoglobin level below 110 g/L; in 2002 this indicator was 49.2%, and according to a national survey in 2006, more than one third of children under five were anemic. During the national wheat flour fortification program (since 2005), the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age decreased to 34.4%; however, a national survey in 2017 found anemia in 41% of non-pregnant women. Because maternal anemia is closely linked to child health, prevention should be carried out within a single strategy for mother and child. Regular monitoring of anemia in children, quality control of fortified products and raising public awareness were identified as the main directions.