Amaemia in two Burmese villages

ABSTRACT

A mass haemoglobin (Hb) survey was done on a total of 1, 961 subjects from two villages Shan-te-gyi in Insein district and Tu-ywin-bo in Myingyan district. 90 per cent and 80 per cent respectively of the population was covered. Blood film mean corpuscular Hb concentration serum iron; serum protein; serum, whole blood and red cell folates; Hb electrophoresis and osmotic resistance tests were done on adults with Hb less than 11g per cent. Stool examination for helminthic infestation and a dietary survey were done in both villages. The mena Hb value if 520 adult males was 14.08 g per cent (S.D.1.81) and that of 648 adult females was 12.335 g per cent (S.D.1.79). 50 per cent of the males, 34 per cent of the females and 55 per cent of the 793 children below 15 years were anaemic according to WHO criteria. Pregnancy and lactation are significant factors in lowering the mean Hb; the mean Hb of the pregnant group and lactating group being 10.86 g per cent (S.D.1.60) and 12.13g per cent (S.D.1.92) respectively, both of which are significantly lower than the mean Hb of the 12.58g per cent (S.D.1.67) of the non-pregnant, non-lactating group. However, the percent anaemic according to WHO criteria is 28 per cent and 42 per cent respectively in the pregnant and lactating group versus 33 per cent in the non-pregnant, non-lactating group. 47.1 per cent of the anaemic females and 28.60 per cent of the anaemic males had serum iron values below 50g per cent. There were only 4 cases of Thalassemia-E disease among the 117 anaemic adults tested. The stool survey on adults showed that only 4 out of 74 anaemics (5 per cent) and 5 out of 54 non-anaemic controls (9 per cent) had hookworm ova in Shan-te-gyi. Of 54 anaemics and 28 non-anaemic controls tested in Tu-ywin-bo, none had hookworm ova. In the village the iron intake was adequate according to the Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Defense (ICNND) standards.