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Anaemia Action Alliance

Accelerate anaemia reduction

Learn more about anaemia

Why act on anaemia?

 

 

Anaemia is a major public health concern affecting nearly one-quarter of the world’s population. It impacts health, well-being, and economic development across generations, affecting cognitive development in children, infectious disease outcomes, and maternal mortality.

Progress in reducing anaemia has stagnated. Poverty, gender inequality, climate change, and disparities in healthcare and education are factors that have a large bearing on reducing anaemia. A synergistic approach within health and across sectors is urgently needed for effective reduction.

The Anaemia Action Alliance brings together a broad group of actors to achieve a collective vision where all women, adolescent girls, and children are empowered and enabled to benefit from appropriate and timely actions for the prevention and management of anaemia.

 

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Don't miss this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of millions of women and children. Join the Anaemia Action Alliance and help reduce anaemia by 50% by 2030.

Participants

Discover the different ways you can participate in the Alliance

Working groups

Find out how you can actively contribute to the work of the Alliance

How to apply

Make a difference. Apply for participation in the Alliance

How we work

Technical support

Providing technical support to countries for accelerating anaemia reduction, including through adapting and implementing the recommendations of the WHO Comprehensive framework for action to accelerate anaemia reduction.

Evidence

Consolidating evidence and identifying priority research needs to address evidence gaps that constrain progress towards better guidance, policy, and programme design and delivery.

Resource mobilization and tracking

Mobilizing investments in anaemia and developing mechanisms for tracking financial resources towards anaemia prevention and reduction.

Advocacy and communications

Driving a global paradigm shift that elevates anaemia as a key indicator of health and development, reflecting the multiple causes, risk factors and solutions to reduce anaemia.

Latest news

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Accelerating progress against anaemia, a call for multisectoral action

Feb 6, 2026, 18:00 PM by User Not Found
The Anaemia Action Alliance advocates for addressing persistently high anaemia rates through a coordinated, multisectoral approach. Despite decades of strong evidence on effective interventions, progress remains slow – largely due to fragmented programming and insufficient political prioritization. A newly published blog highlights how integrating interventions across multiple delivery platforms can better address the diverse causes of anaemia and improve impact.

The Anaemia Action Alliance advocates for addressing persistently high anaemia rates through a coordinated, multisectoral approach. Despite decades of strong evidence on effective interventions, progress remains slow – largely due to fragmented programming and insufficient political prioritization. A newly published blog highlights how integrating interventions across multiple delivery platforms can better address the diverse causes of anaemia and improve impact.

Strengthening health services for women, infants, and young children

Women, especially during pregnancy, are three times more likely than men to be affected by anaemia. Maternal anaemia increases the risk of maternal death, stillbirth, and postpartum haemorrhage. Strengthening routine antenatal and postnatal care by integrating services such as malaria prevention, deworming, nutrition counselling, and the provision of iron-containing supplements helps protect both mothers and their infants. The Alliance emphasizes that providing person-centred, quality care is essential to improving service utilization and health outcomes.

Supporting schoolchildren through smart school-based strategies

Schools provide an important platform to reach children and adolescents during critical developmental stages. Integrated approaches, such as the provision of nutritious school meals, weekly iron-folic acid supplementation, deworming, and health and nutrition education, can improve concentration, behaviour, and school attendance. Ensuring adequate WASH and menstrual hygiene services also enables adolescent girls to manage menstruation with dignity and can reduce absenteeism.

Driving collective and integrated action through community platforms

Community-based delivery is indispensable for reaching women, adolescent girls and children in remote or underserved areas. Community health workers play a central role by fostering trust and delivering culturally relevant interventions —such as vitamin A supplementation, follow-up support, and distribution and insecticide-treated nets. Investing in their training and resources is essential for expanding prevention and treatment coverage.

Why coordinated, multisectoral action matters

Anaemia is not just a health issue – it reinforces cycles of poverty and gender inequality. Coordinated action across health, education, WASH, agriculture and social protection sectors is vital for delivering comprehensive solutions. Sustainable investments and aligned efforts can help ensure all women, adolescents, and children lead healthy, productive lives.

For a deeper exploration of these strategies and the recommended path forward, readers are invited to visit the full blog on the Micronutrient Forum website.

 

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Reducing anaemia contributes to healthier populations, lives saved and progress towards the World Health Assembly Global nutrition targets and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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