Opportunities for micronutrient interventions (OMNI)

Interventions to combat iron deficiency anemia in children under age 5 were examined at a workshop held in London in May, 1995. The 16 papers delivered at the workshop address the following topics: bioavailablility of iron; dietary interventions to prevent iron deficiency; iron fortification of foods; anemia and intestinal parasites; malaria and anemia; iron supplements; interaction of micronutrients, compounds, and iron; and programs to combat iron deficiency in the United Kingdom, Romania, the Philippines, China, India, Tanzania, the Gambia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Workshop data indicate that anemia is widespread in developed countries, where governments often provide health care free of charge and access to health facilities is good, and in developing countries, where health resources are more limited and restricted. Among children under 5, those aged 6-24 months are most at risk. There is an urgent need to disseminate information to policymakers and program managers on the importance of iron interventions for infants and young children, to break the vicious cycle of anemic women giving birth to infants who have low iron stores and may become more iron deficient as they ge

Source: DEC abstract, PN-ABY-924 (1995). This is the source's own text, not a cited summary of the documents.