Assessment of Anaemia and Iron Status of School Age Children (Aged 7-12 Years) in Rural Communities of Abia State, Nigeria (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Anaemia is a worldwide problem that is highly prevalent in developing countries of the world with the highest incidence reported in Asia and Africa [1]. Anaemia prevalence is high in children and its cause is frequently multifactorial. It has been estimated that about 40% of the world's population (more than 2 billion individuals) suffer from anaemia with a prevalence of 48% in school-aged children [2,3]. Anaemia occurs as a result of abnormally low haemoglobin due to pathological conditions. Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anaemia, other causes include chronic infections such as malaria, worm infestation, hereditary haemoglobinopathies and other micronutrient deficiency particularly folic acid [4].