Iron Deficiency in Indian Women: Understanding Anaemia and The Silent Health Crisis

The prevalence of anaemia among Indian women is shocking, as 7 out of 10 Indian women surveyed will likely be found suffering from it.

According to the NFHS-5 and associated analyses

• More than 68 per cent of women aged 15–49 are anaemic.
• The prevalence is more common among rural women. 70.4% of rural women were seen affected vs. 64.7% of urban women. 
• The prevalence further goes up among tribal women, with over 80% recorded to be anaemic.

What’s clear is that the prevalence has reached epidemic levels, affecting women regardless of their class, age or geography.

“Iron deficiency is a silent and endemic health status among Indian women aged 20-40 years,” echoed Jeevan Kasara, Chairman of Steris Healthcare. Founded in 2018, Steris Healthcare is a fast-growing specialty pharmaceutical company focused on making advanced healthcare accessible across India.

While not every case of anaemia is due to iron deficiency, studies suggest that iron deficiency contributes significantly. A global meta-analysis estimated that among women of childbearing age, about 37 per cent of anaemia is attributable to iron deficiency.

Read: Anaemia Diet Chart To Maintain Health; Expert Weighs In

We explore why iron deficiency is so common, and what women should do to keep their iron levels healthy.

Why Iron Deficiency is So Common Among Indian Women

In India, dietary studies point out how meal preferences may be shaping some of the prevalent iron deficiency. Heme iron, found in meat, fish, and poultry, is easily absorbed. Non-heme iron, found in plant foods like spinach, lentils, and beans, is harder for the body to absorb. Many women in India adhere to a strictly vegetarian diet, and only a small number consume meat on a daily basis.

Jeevan added, “Even with exposure to an enormous variety of foods found in urban areas, issues of lifestyle, diet, and physiological states such as menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation make women extremely susceptible.”

Biological factors like heavy periods, pregnancies, and even multiple pregnancies play a big role. Dietary preferences coupled with sociological factors like poverty, lack of access to nutrition, and poor sanitation contribute to the problem.

The effects of iron deficiency are manifold.

“Women experience more than tiredness; chronic iron deficiency compromises immunity, decreases mental sharpness, increases disease recovery time, and complicates pregnancy,” he added.

Overall, a lack of productivity, energy, compromised immunity, and complications in reproduction lead to a poorer quality of life.

How to Deal With Iron Deficiency

Jeevan emphasised the need for a general strategy to combat the problem, which is rooted in awareness.

“Informing women about the role that iron-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, beans, and fortified cereals have to play, maximising intakes with foods rich in vitamin C, and supplements on a doctor's advice when needed is the need of the hour,” he said.

Other steps that need to be taken include:

• Preventive surveillance
• Changes in lifestyle
• Mass education campaigns

These are the tools for the prevention of this silent nutritional epidemic, which will ensure women are empowered with information to sustain energy, productivity, and overall well-being throughout life.