New guidelines on hemoglobin cutoff points for defining anemia in individuals and populations

Abstract

This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established new guidelines indicating a readjustment of the cut-off points for the diagnosis of anemia in infants aged 6 to 23 months, as well as the change of the hemoglobin (Hb) correction factor for altitude of residence, which generates a different picture of the numbers reported in the previous surveys applied at the national level. In Metropolitan Lima, a reanalysis of the SIEN databases (CENAN/INS) from 2012 to 2017 shows that the prevalence of anemia is reduced from 45.4% to 25.5% with the new WHO guidelines. On the other hand, there is a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness and repercussions generated by the various strategies applied in Peru, as well as in some neighboring countries that have a large proportion of altitude residents. Due to the above, this manuscript aims to show the changes that have occurred over the years on the prevalence of childhood anemia, and through a timeline to analyze national and international strategies.