65.5m adolescent girls, women in Asia suffer Anaemia annually: Experts 

Anaemia in Asia 

• 247M anaemia cases in Asia yearly
• 439K child deaths annually
• Stunting: 27.4% children in ASEAN countries
• Overweight: 7.5% Children in ASEAN
• 161M IQ points lost, equivalent to 1% earnings drop annually
• $346B undernutrition costs yearly
•  $1B daily economic losses

An alarming 65.5 million adolescent girls and women aged 15-49 years in Asia suffer from anaemia each year, with over 247 million new cases added annually, according to data shared at a workshop hosted by Nutrition International today (8 January). 

Anaemia remains a major outcome of undernutrition, particularly in South Asia and the ASEAN region, where 27% of women in this demographic are affected, resulting in over 47 million new cases each year.

This undernutrition crisis leads to severe health and economic impacts for the region. In ASEAN member states, 27.4% of children under five are stunted, 8.2% are wasted, and 7.5% are overweight due to malnutrition. 

Across Asia, stunting, low birth weight, and anaemia contribute to 439,000 child deaths annually and the loss of 161 million IQ points, equivalent to a 1% reduction in lifetime earnings.

The economic costs of undernutrition are staggering, amounting to at least $346 billion annually or approximately $1 billion per day—representing 0.9% of Asia's total income. 

These figures were revealed using the Cost of Inaction Tool, developed by Nutrition International in collaboration with Limestone Analytics. This tool estimates the annual economic costs associated with stunting, low birthweight, and anaemia across more than 140 countries and regions.

Importance of addressing undernutrition 

Dylan Walters, project director at Health Economics, Nutrition International in Canada, emphasised the importance of addressing undernutrition, stating: "Global Nutrition targets for 2025 include a 40% reduction in stunting among children under five, a 50% reduction in anaemia in women of reproductive age, and a 30% reduction in low birth weight. These goals also aim for a 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate in the first six months."

Experts like Manoj Kumar, Regional Director of Asia for Nutrition International, Surabhi Mittal, Deputy Director of Health Economics, and Herrio Hattu, country director of Indonesia also shared their insights in the workshop, titled "Cost of InactionTool".

Bridging the Evidence Gap

The Cost of Inaction Tool and the expanded Cost of Not Breastfeeding Tool provide critical country-specific data to support policy decisions, advocacy, and investments. These tools aim to fill evidence gaps on the health, human capital, and economic costs of failing to prevent undernutrition.

Dylan Walters stressed that governments and development partners require evidence-based data to understand the consequences of policy decisions and investments. These tools provide a clear picture of the costs of inaction, urging decision-makers to prioritise proven, low-cost, high-impact nutrition interventions.

Call to Action

Nutrition International continues to focus on vulnerable populations, including women, children, and adolescent girls. 

In countries like Bangladesh, the organisation collaborates with governments and stakeholders to implement sustainable nutrition solutions, such as integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches into social safety nets and local policies.

By leveraging tools, countries and regional alliances such as ASEAN, along with multilateral institutions like the Asian Development Bank, can better target investments and accelerate responses to this urgent public health challenge.

Immediate action and evidence-based investments are vital to reversing these losses and achieving global nutrition targets.