Childhood anemia prevalence does not increased during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a health problem in various parts of the world, and measures to curb the spread of the virus were based on the use of masks, social immobilisation, preventive and constant cleanliness, etc. Likewise, other public health problems such as anemia could not be tackled as in previous years. National surveys show that the consumption of iron, the main measure for the preventive and therapeutic treatment of this hematological condition, was significantly reduced. On the other hand, anemia figures in the Andean region were not affected, remaining at a similar value as in 2019. Therefore, the hypothesis supported is whether policies have been based on scientific evidence, given that despite the great efforts of multimicronutrient supplementation interventions, prevalences did not decrease. The present analysis is based on the formulations of the misdiagnosis of this condition, anemia, since the hemoglobin value is considered as a universal and unique marker. And the other point to support is the multi-causality of anemia, since iron deficiency is the only one addressed, however, recent reviews show that this aetiology is neither the only one nor the one of major consideration for the progressive progression of this disease.