Prevalence of anemia among children aged 6–59 months in the Ntele camp for internally displaced persons (Cabo Delgado, Mozambique): a preliminary study

In July 2022, we conducted a pilot cross-sectional study, within a project funded by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, to investigate the prevalence and predictors of anemia in children aged 6–59 months living in the Ntele camp (Mozambique), created for internally displaced persons (IDPs). We analyzed blood samples for hemoglobin (Hb) and Plasmodium antigens; stool and urine for parasites. Associations between variables were assessed by performing univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Based on the World Health Organization’s Hb cut-offs, we defined anemia (Hb < 110 g/L) as mild (Hb = 100–109 g/L), moderate (Hb = 70–99 g/L), and severe (Hb < 70 g/L). We included 245 children, 212 (83%) were anemic, with 30 (12%) being severely anemic, and 95 (39%) suffered from malaria. Children with moderate-severe anemia were younger than others (mean age = 25.3 and 29.5 months, respectively; p = 0.02). Malaria was positively correlated with moderate to severe anemia (crude OR [95%CI] = 2.5 [1.5-4.5]; sex and age-adjusted OR [95%CI] = 3.1 [1.7-5.6]). Anemia in children under 5 years of age represents an urgent public health threat in the IDPs camp of Ntele, with malaria potentially making them much more susceptible to moderate-severe anemia and other diseases.