It is the year 2026 and the goal to achieve a 50% reduction in anaemia by 2030 seems like a far-fetched dream. Anaemia has always been a major public health concern, but despite years of government programmes and awareness campaigns, young children, pregnant and postpartum women, and menstruating adolescent girls and women are still anaemic.
India’s goal to cut anaemia by 50%, aligned with World Health Assembly targets and the National Nutrition Mission, aims to reduce its prevalence among women of reproductive age, children and adolescents. Now extended to 2030 from the earlier 2025, it seeks to improve maternal health, lower neonatal mortality and strengthen human capital by tackling iron deficiency.
While anaemia is preventable and treatable, India’s fight against it is far from over, according to the latest national data.
What is anaemia and its symptoms?
It is a condition when your body produces lower than normal red blood cells (RBCs) or the haemoglobin concentration is less within them. The adequate amount of haemoglobin concentration needed to meet physiological needs depends on age, sex, geographical altitude at which the person lives, smoking habits and pregnancy status.
The right amount of haemoglobin concentration is crucial because it carries oxygen to the organs and tissues, and if there is not enough of it, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood reaching your organs and tissues.
How many people are still affected?
Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) reveals a worrying trend: anaemia levels have risen across children, women, and even men compared to the previous survey in 2015–16.
The latest NFHS-5 data shows a clear rise in anaemia across all major groups compared to 2015–16. Among children aged 6–59 months, anaemia has increased sharply from 58.6% to 67.1%. The burden among women remains high, with 57% of women aged 15–49 years now anaemic, up from 53.1% earlier, while anaemia among pregnant women has also risen from 50.4% to 52.2%. Men, often overlooked in such discussions, have also seen an increase, with prevalence rising from 22.7% to 25%.
The data further shows that adolescents are significantly affected, with 59.1% of girls and 31.1% of boys aged 15–19 years being anaemic. Overall, the numbers indicate that anaemia is not only widespread but worsening across age groups and genders in India.
The 2025 edition of the WHO estimates on anaemia in women aged 15–49 years, by pregnancy status, reveals that anaemia remains a major public health concern. Only 18 countries (10% of all countries) have shown progress toward meeting the target, indicating that the world is currently off track to achieve the goal of a 50% reduction in anaemia by 2030.
WHO estimates that 40% of children 6–59 months of age, 37% of pregnant women, and 30% of women 15–49 years of age worldwide are anaemic.
But why is anaemia still rising?
The rise in anaemia despite multiple government programmes raises tough questions.
Some major reasons include:
1. Poor diet quality
Even when food is available, diets often lack iron-rich nutrients.
2. Gaps in implementation
Schemes like iron supplementation and nutrition programmes may not be reaching everyone effectively.
3. Lack of awareness
Many people do not recognise symptoms like fatigue or weakness as anaemia.
4. Health system gaps
Routine screening and early detection are still not consistent across the country.
What are the symptoms?
If you are anaemic, you would feel fatigued, weak and dizzy and fall short of breath. In severe cases, anaemia can cause poor cognitive and motor development in children. You would also notice that your physical capacity to work has reduced.
Some of the other non-specific symptoms that one can face, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) are cold hands and feet and headache. And some severe anaemia can cause more serious symptoms, including:
pale mucous membranes (in the mouth, nose, etc.)
pale skin and under the fingernails
rapid breathing and heart rate
dizziness when standing up
bruising more easily
Are you also wondering why females are more prone to anaemia than males?
Females are more prone to anaemia, particularly iron deficiency anaemia, primarily due to blood loss during menstruation and increased iron demands during pregnancy. Monthly blood loss results in reduced iron stores, while pregnancy requires additional iron for the foetus. These factors, including dietary gaps, make females more at risk than males.
According to the WHO, in many low- and lower-middle-income settings, the most common causes of anaemia are iron deficiency and malaria. Anaemia can also be caused by poor nutrition; infections such as malaria, parasitic infections, tuberculosis, HIV; and more. Chronic diseases, heavy menstruation, pregnancy issues and even inherited red blood cell disorders are some of the reasons that can make you anaemic.
What can you do to not become anaemic?
There are many effective ways to treat and prevent anaemia. Changes in diet can help reduce anaemia in some cases, including:
eating foods that are rich in iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and other nutrients
eating a healthy diet with a variety of foods
taking supplements if a qualified health-care provider recommends them
Moreover, you should take all measures to prevent health conditions that would cause anaemia. Get vaccinated and practise good hygiene to prevent infections, keep track of your weight and save yourself from chronic diseases like obesity and digestive problems.
As the WHO says, wait at least 24 months between pregnancies and use birth control to prevent unintended pregnancies, prevent and treat heavy menstrual bleeding and haemorrhage before or after birth, delay umbilical cord clamping after childbirth (not earlier than 1 minute), and treat inherited red blood cell disorders like sickle-cell disease and thalassaemia.
With more than half the population in key groups affected, this is not a hidden problem anymore. It is a public health emergency that needs urgent attention.