Reducing the anemia burden in India

The project “Moving the Needle on Anemia Reduction,” supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to identify facilitators and barriers to existing interventions, implementation gaps, and lessons learned for improved outcomes toward anemia reduction in India.

PATH has taken a holistic approach to assess the current anemia interventions at the national level, and identify the key strategies required to strengthen the national Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) program for effective implementation.

Throughout the course of this project, we undertook a series of activities to achieve our objectives. These included a rapid assessment of 15 states in India to gain insights into the barriers and enablers of the AMB program implementation, the use of living labs with a human-centric research design to co-design solutions from the perspectives of healthcare workers, key informant interviews, state-level consultation workshops, and a comprehensive review of the different components of the AMB program to develop landscape documents and reports.

Through these concerted efforts, we produced a plethora of knowledge products highlighting different components of the program. These documents include a compendium of state-level case studies and best practices of anemia interventions, a living labs report, landscape documents focusing on digital interventions for anemia, anemia diagnostics, treatment pathways, market understanding of Injection ferric carboxymaltose, and advocacy state-level videos of our efforts for anemia.

Publication date: June 2024

Available materials

  1. English

    1. State initiatives for anemia reduction in India: Compendium of case studies 4.5 MB PDF

      Under the project, PATH has documented successful best practices for anemia interventions in four different states in India—Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. This documentation is presented through a compendium of case studies highlighting various components of anemia interventions.
    2. Living Labs report: Human-centered design approach with frontline workers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar 6 MB PDF

      This document explores the critical issue of anemia in India, where the condition remains prevalent despite long-standing intervention programs. Highlighting the multifaceted causes and high burden, particularly among women and children, it details the AMB strategy launched in 2018.

      Key activities include secondary literature reviews, state-level assessments, and human-centered design sessions to gather frontline health worker perspectives. The goal is to identify facilitators and barriers, co-design action plans, and improve outcomes for anemia reduction.
    3. Overview of digital interventions on anemia in India 5.8 MB PDF

      This report provides an overview of digital interventions used to track, monitor, detect, and prevent anemia in India. It highlights the roles of key ministries, details various initiatives, and discusses the challenges and benefits of integrating standalone digital platforms for more effective anemia reduction efforts.
    4. Landscape for anemia screening 3.8 MB PDF

      This landscape document delves into the evolutionary trajectory of diagnostic tools and technologies for anemia, examining both invasive and non-invasive screening methods through extensive literature review.

      It offers a detailed overview of global and local market landscapes, based on comprehensive desk reviews and engagements with innovators. The document includes a comparative analysis of devices from different manufacturers and highlights gaps and opportunities in India's screening methodologies under the AMB program, informed by insights from a rapid assessment across 15 states.
    5. Landscape and pathways for scaling injection ferric carboxymaltose in India 373.4 KB PDF

      This document aims to optimize the cost-effectiveness of quality-assured generic Injection ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) through several key objectives. It seeks to understand the current market status of Injection FCM, identify opportunities to reduce production costs of generic FCM, and explore strategies to enhance affordability while maintaining high quality.

      Effective treatment of iron deficiency anemia, particularly through parental therapies like FCM, is crucial for improving quality of life and reducing health care expenses. FCM, with its high iron content and favorable safety profile, stands out as a preferred option, especially for treating moderate to severe cases including during pregnancy, due to its efficacy and minimal adverse effects.

  2. English

    1. Videos: State-level advocacy

      The advocacy videos howcase the efforts PATH is taking in different states for anemia reduction. The video highlights the burden of anemia, government’s initiatives, and PATH’s efforts in supporting the government for anemia reduction.