![]() ![]() The overall iron requirement in the body increases during adolescence period and combined with repeated menstrual blood loss in girls, it leads to iron deficiency anemia. One of the most easily identifiable adolescent target groups are the school children and the schools can be considered as one of the major source to obtain the epidemiological information regarding the local causes of anemia and to plan the interventions accordingly. Children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.Īdolescents constitute to nearly 21% of the total population in India. Severe form of anemia is associated with weakness, fatigue, and drowsiness. There are various causes of anemia among which iron deficiency is the most common cause followed by folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A deficiencies, and parasitic infections. These problems are more pronounced in the developing countries.Īnemia is defined as a condition in which the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells is reduced and is insufficient to meet the various physiologic needs, which varies by age, sex, and pregnancy status. Globally, it is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion are affected by chronic infestation with soil-transmitted helminths and this high prevalence is associated with poverty and poor environmental hygiene. The diseases caused by the intestinal protozoan parasites are associated with diarrhea and dysentery. These infections are highly prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions where there is lack of adequate water supply and proper sanitation facilities. ![]() The diseases caused by helminthic parasites are collectively called helminthiasis, and it impairs the nutritional status of those affected by causing intestinal bleeding, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and reducing the absorption of micronutrients. In developing countries, the most common parasitic infections are those caused by helminths and protozoan parasites, which are listed in Table 1. In areas of inadequate sanitation and with open-air defecation practices, it could contaminate the soil and could get transmitted to children when they play in that area and when they do not follow adequate personal hygiene practices. These parasites live in the intestine of affected persons and lay thousands of eggs, which get passed through the faces. Helminthiasis and other parasitic infections in India contribute to nearly 40% of the global burden of tropical diseases. Even today, these diseases remain among the major causes of human misery and death in the world and are important obstacles to the development of economically less developed countries. Parasitic diseases have been with mankind since time immemorial. This has, in turn, led to nutritional problems such as anemia in those affected, increasing their morbidity. India, being one of the developing tropical countries with increasing population, continuous urbanization, ethnic food habits, and poor socioeconomic conditions, has paved way for the emergence of previously unrecognized diseases and food-borne parasitic infections. ![]()
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