Targeting open defecation, other factors accelerates anemia reduction among pregnant women in India
- From
- 
          
            
            Published on
          
          03.07.18
- Impact Area
 
  One in two pregnant women in India are anemic. This condition of low blood hemoglobin, the protein in blood that delivers oxygen to tissues, is one of the most pervasive and persistent public health issues in India. Anemia during pregnancy is particularly worrisome, as it affects both the mother and the developing child. Negative outcomes associated with anemia during this critical period include maternal mortality, risk of infection, preterm delivery, and poor fetal and infant health.
In our new research article in Public Health Nutrition, we—along with co-authors from IFPRI, the Public Health Foundation of India, and Oxford Policy Management—identified sociodemographic, programmatic, and dietary drivers of anemia reduction in pregnant Indian women over 10. Among our findings: Lower rates of open defecation were correlated with lower anemia rates (see chart). This suggests that current efforts to eliminate open defecation in India may have the benefit of parallel reductions in anemia.
Photo credit: Shivani Kachwaha/IFPRI
Related news
- 
  
      Positioning healthier rice varieties in Odisha for market demand and farmer incomeInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI)28.10.25- 
            
            Nutrition
 In western Odisha, farmer groups and women’s self-help groups are taking the lead in bringing… Read more
- 
            
            
- 
  
      SOILutions for Security: CGIAR at the 2025 Borlaug DialogueMultifunctional Landscapes Science Program22.10.25- 
            
            Biodiversity
- 
            
            Environmental health
- 
            
            Environmental health & biodiversity
- 
            
            Food security
- 
            
            Nutrition
 From October 21–23, CGIAR will join global partners in Des Moines, Iowa for the 2025… Read more
- 
            
            
- 
  
      New insights on how rainfall patterns influence arsenic in riceInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI)14.10.25- 
            
            Nutrition
 By Bushra Humaira Sadaf Arsenic in rice has long been linked to contaminated irrigation water,… Read more
- 
            
            
