Nutritional
Anemia

Anemia is a worldwide public health problem affecting 1.62 billion people,
or ~25% of the global population [1]. The highest prevalence of anemia
occurs in children aged 6–59 months (40%, or ~269 million globally) and
importantly, the largest group of affected individuals (30%, or ~571 million

globally) is women of reproductive age (15–49 years) [2]. Reduction of ane-
mia in women of reproductive age is a target of Goal 2 (zero hunger) of the

17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call to action
by all countries to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In
contrast to women, targets for anemia reduction in infants and children have
yet to be set.