Without urgent intervention, 18 million more adolescent girls and women in South Asia could suffer from anaemia by 2030, adding to the current 259 million affected across the region, warned SAARC, UNICEF, and WHO during the opening of a landmark regional summit in Colombo today.
The “Nourishing South Asia: Reducing Anaemia in Adolescent Girls and Women” conference, hosted by SAARC, the Government of Sri Lanka, UNICEF, WHO, and partners, brings together over 100 leaders from seven South Asian countries. The three-day event (July 9–11) aims to develop a unified regional framework and country-level action plans to address what experts call a "widespread but overlooked health crisis."
A key initiative unveiled at the summit is the launch of the South Asia Anaemia Academic Alliance, aimed at closing research gaps and bolstering scientific leadership across the region.
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized her government’s commitment to combat anaemia, which affects 18.5% of Sri Lankan women of reproductive age and 14.6% of children under five. “We are intensifying our nutrition programme, especially in high-burden districts, and scaling efforts nationwide through multisector collaboration,” she stated.
Anaemia, primarily caused by iron deficiency and poor nutrition, impairs energy, immunity, and productivity. For women and girls, it restricts educational and economic participation and poses serious pregnancy risks. It also contributes significantly to low birth weight, with South Asia accounting for 40% of global cases.
“This is not only a health issue — it’s a systemic failure,” said UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Sanjay Wijesekera. “We know what works; now it’s time to act.”
WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Saima Wazed underscored anaemia's economic toll, costing South Asia $32.5 billion annually. Yet, she noted, every $1 invested yields a $9.50 return in maternal health gains.
Success stories were shared from Nepal, where anaemia among women of reproductive age has dropped from 41% in 2016 to 34% in 2022 due to outreach by frontline workers and integrated health programs. Similar progress is being made in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh through locally tailored, data-driven strategies.
While progress remains uneven and health systems face capacity gaps, the conference underscored that anaemia is preventable and treatable, and eliminating it is critical to achieving gender equity, improving maternal and child health, and fostering sustainable development across the region.