Estimating the burden of disease attributable to iron deficiency anaemia in South Africa in 2000.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the extent of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) among children aged 0 - 4 years and pregnant women aged 15 - 49 years, and the burden of disease attributed to IDA in South Africa in 2000.


METHODS
The comparative risk assessment (CRA) methodology of the World Health Organization (WHO) was followed using local prevalence and burden estimates. IDA prevalence came from re-analysis of the South African Vitamin A Consultative Group study in the case of the children, and from a pooled estimate from several studies in the case of the pregnant women (haemoglobin level < 11 g/dl and ferritin level < 12 microg/l). Monte Carlo simulation-modelling was used for the uncertainty analysis.


METHODS
South Africa.


METHODS
Children under 5 years and pregnant women 15 - 49 years.


METHODS
Direct sequelae of IDA, maternal and perinatal deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from mild mental disability related to IDA. Results. It is estimated that 5.1% of children and 9 - 12% of pregnant women had IDA and that about 7.3% of perinatal deaths and 4.9% of maternal deaths were attributed to IDA in 2000. Overall, about 174,976 (95% uncertainty interval 150,344 - 203,961) healthy years of life lost (YLLs), or between 0.9% and 1.3% of all DALYs in South Africa in 2000, were attributable to IDA.


CONCLUSIONS
This first study in South Africa to quantify the burden from IDA suggests that it is a less serious public health problem in South Africa than in many other developing countries. Nevertheless, this burden is preventable, and the study highlights the need to disseminate the food-based dietary guidelines formulated by the National Department of Health to people who need them and to monitor the impact of the food fortification programme.
Nojilana
Beatrice
B
Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town. Beatrice.Nojilana@mrc.ac.za
Norman
Rosana
R
Dhansay
Muhammad A
MA
Labadarios
Demetre
D
van Stuijvenberg
Martha E
ME
Bradshaw
Debbie
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology