Eisensupplementierung bei Kindern in Afghanistan

Iron deficiency (ID) remains the most widespread nutrient deficiency worldwide. The prevalence rate for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among young children in low-income countries exceeds 50%, leading to impairments in immune response and cognitive function. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization (WHO) have proposed recommendations for preventing iron deficiency, including the fortification of foods with iron, providing iron-rich infant formula when breast milk is insufficient, and avoiding cow's milk in the first year of life. Afghanistan is among the countries with poor conditions where the prevalence of ID and IDA is at a higher level. The national nutrition survey of 2013 revealed that 40% of women and 44.9% of children were anemic, with 26.1% of children aged 6-59 months showing signs of iron deficiency.