Persistent Childhood Anemia in Mozambique: Findings from Pooled Demographic and Health Surveys (2011–2022/23)
1
Instituto Nacional de Saúde, INS, Ministério da Saúde, MISAU, Maputo, Mozambique
2
Unidade de Ensino e Investigação de Saúde Pública Global, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa,UNL, Lisboa, Portugal
3
African Population and Health Research Center, APHRC, Nairobi, Kenya
4
Center of Excellence for Maternal and Newborn Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
5
Unidade de Ensino e Investigação de Clínica das Doenças Tropicais, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisboa, Portugal
6
Hospital Dona Estefânia, HDE, Unidade Local de Saúde de São José, Lisboa, Portugal
7
NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisboa, Portugal
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2257
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Anemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in children, particularly those of preschool age, and remains a persistent public health challenge globally. This study aimed to identify the individual, feeding, household, and community determinants of anemia among children in Mozambique.
METHODS:
We used pooled datasets from the 2011 and 2022–2023 Mozambique Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). A total sample of 8143 children aged 6–59 months with available hemoglobin testing was included. A multilevel mixed-effects analysis was performed using STATA version 18.0.
RESULTS:
The overall prevalence of childhood anemia remained high, increasing slightly from 69.1% in 2011 to 72.9% in 2022. Similarly, the prevalence of moderate, mild, and severe anemia increased slightly, from 39.1%, 26.0%, and 4.0% in 2011 to 40.6%, 28.0%, and 4.3% in 2022, respectively. Sixteen percent of the variability in anemia prevalence was attributed to differences between clusters (ICC = 0.16). Children who suffered from illnesses (aOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18–1.75), lived in female-headed households (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01–1.32), and lived in households with unimproved drinking water sources (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.19–1.65) were more likely to have anemia than their peers.
CONCLUSIONS:
Childhood anemia remains a severe public health problem in Mozambique, showing no progress and even worsening, and is still far from achieving the global nutrition target by 2030 of reducing anemia rates to less than 15% in children. Tackling childhood anemia will require multisectoral approaches involving the government and stakeholders, with a view to enhancing the provision of essential anemia supplies for primary healthcare at the national level and reinforcing the regular monitoring of anemia risk at child healthcare visits by health providers and nutritionists. Efforts should be aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities through investments in rural development, water and sanitation, schooling, and health literacy among caregivers.
Anemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in children, particularly those of preschool age, and remains a persistent public health challenge globally. This study aimed to identify the individual, feeding, household, and community determinants of anemia among children in Mozambique.
METHODS:
We used pooled datasets from the 2011 and 2022–2023 Mozambique Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). A total sample of 8143 children aged 6–59 months with available hemoglobin testing was included. A multilevel mixed-effects analysis was performed using STATA version 18.0.
RESULTS:
The overall prevalence of childhood anemia remained high, increasing slightly from 69.1% in 2011 to 72.9% in 2022. Similarly, the prevalence of moderate, mild, and severe anemia increased slightly, from 39.1%, 26.0%, and 4.0% in 2011 to 40.6%, 28.0%, and 4.3% in 2022, respectively. Sixteen percent of the variability in anemia prevalence was attributed to differences between clusters (ICC = 0.16). Children who suffered from illnesses (aOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18–1.75), lived in female-headed households (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01–1.32), and lived in households with unimproved drinking water sources (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.19–1.65) were more likely to have anemia than their peers.
CONCLUSIONS:
Childhood anemia remains a severe public health problem in Mozambique, showing no progress and even worsening, and is still far from achieving the global nutrition target by 2030 of reducing anemia rates to less than 15% in children. Tackling childhood anemia will require multisectoral approaches involving the government and stakeholders, with a view to enhancing the provision of essential anemia supplies for primary healthcare at the national level and reinforcing the regular monitoring of anemia risk at child healthcare visits by health providers and nutritionists. Efforts should be aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities through investments in rural development, water and sanitation, schooling, and health literacy among caregivers.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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