Grant: Operating Grant

Anemia, defined by a low hemoglobin level, affects half of women in Cambodia. Hemoglobin is important as it helps to transfer oxygen in the blood throughout the body. Without enough hemoglobin women feel tired and it may hurt their baby when pregnant. Anemia is caused by poor nutrition, blood gene problems, as well as infections. In Cambodia, iron deficiency is assumed to be the cause of anemia due to low-iron diets. However, it is difficult to assess iron deficiency in populations that have high rates of blood gene problems and infection. The blood markers that are usually used to measure iron deficiency are increased in people with these blood gene problems and infection. Therefore, it is difficult to determine if women in Cambodia really have iron deficiency. This is important in terms of planning nutrition programs that will help with anemia. We plan to study 800 women (18-45 years) with anemia and give them one of four different tablets for a period of 12 weeks: a multivitamin and mineral with iron, multivitamin and mineral without iron, iron alone, or a placebo. We will collect a blood sample before and after to measure blood markers of iron deficiency, anemia and other markers that are related to iron and anemia. We will also determine whether or not women have blood gene problems and infection, which affect their nutrition status. Determining the impact of these interventions will tell us whether or not women in Cambodia will benefit from iron, or other supplements. This information will be important in determining the right nutrition interventions in Cambodia in order to help with anemia.