Healthwise Report: Half of Pregnant Women in Africa Afflicted by Anaemia, Reveals Minister
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, recently disclosed a concerning health statistic, revealing that 50% of pregnant women in Africa are currently grappling with anaemia. This revelation was made at the close-out ceremony of the IVON Clinical Trial, where Professor Pate, represented by Professor Lanre Adeyemo, Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, shed light on the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant African women.
The IVON Clinical Trial, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, conducted a comprehensive study across 11 health facilities in Lagos and Kano States. The trial aimed to determine the efficacy of both intravenous and oral iron treatments for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant Nigerian women.
Anaemia, as defined by the World Health Organisation, is characterized by a haemoglobin concentration below a specified cut-off point. This condition can be caused by various factors, including iron deficiency, acute and chronic infections, deficiencies in other essential vitamins and minerals (such as folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A), and genetically inherited traits like thalassaemia.
The WHO sets the threshold for anaemia in pregnant women at a haemoglobin concentration of <110 g/L at sea level, emphasizing the increased risk it poses to maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates.
Nigeria, already grappling with one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates (estimated at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, as per the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018), faces additional challenges due to the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women. Professor Pate extended gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their funding of the IVON Clinical Trial, acknowledging it as a commendable initiative. He also praised Professor Bosede Afolabi and her team for their significant contributions to the trial. Highlighting the global significance of addressing anaemia in pregnancy, Professor Pate emphasized that the IVON clinical trial is a crucial milestone in global efforts to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. The minister reiterated his commitment to the four-point agenda of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which includes improving the quality of governance and leadership in hospitals, enhancing regulatory capacity of agencies under the ministry, improving population health outcomes, promoting medical industrialization, and investing in public health to improve health security. Professor Pate expressed optimism that the trial's outcomes would lead to transformative changes in clinical obstetrics practices, ultimately reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity rates. Professor Bosede Afolabi, the Principal Investigator, highlighted the significance of addressing anaemia as a major global health concern. She emphasized that oral iron drugs for anaemia in pregnancy often faced issues of poor tolerance and adherence. The IVON Trial aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of intravenous iron drug, ferric carboxymaltose, as an alternative to address these challenges associated with oral iron drugs. Afolabi shared that the trial, involving 1,056 pregnant women, sought to provide critical insights into the comparative effectiveness and safety of ferric carboxymaltose versus oral iron (ferrous sulphate) in pregnant Nigerian women. The study, fully funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed to bridge the existing evidence gap on the effectiveness of this intervention in Africa. In conclusion, the IVON Trial, with its ambitious scope and significant funding support, stands poised to contribute invaluable data to the global conversation on combating anaemia in pregnant women, particularly in the African context.
