If you are in the field of general public health you are aware of the impact of anemia and how large the prevalence is. Globally - 2 billion people! If you are working in emergency care, you are aware of the importance of knowing the hemoglobin value to decide the need for transfusion. If you are working with mother and child programs, nutrition programs or malaria and HIV, you are aware of the importance in finding and treating anemia. We know that you know, and we know that you care. And so do we.
Anemia – an ocean of knowledge in a drop of blood
Certain loss of blood is easy to detect and large bleedings are usually treated in the hospital. Yet there can also be bleedings that are not as easy to quantify, or even detect. There can also be deficiencies that are not detected. A simple hemoglobin test can provide information needed why a person is pale, fatigue or does not feel well. What you do not know, you cannot change. Anemia is an important symptom, and all it takes to find out is an easy accessible hemoglobin test.
Shape the Future
Every mother wants the best for her child, if you can make one decision in order to give a baby the best possible start - make sure that its mother can be as healthy as possible. Make it as good as it can be. One way is to screen for anemia and act on the result. Why? Because the first 1000 days are the most important in order to provide a good start in life for the baby. It is a fact that anemia in combination with malnutrition makes the baby at risk of stunting. Programs are initiated for this reason and anemia needs to be incorporated. Treating anemia also gives the pregnant mother a better chance to survive pregnancy as well as a complicated delivery. A baby being born by a healthy mother is given the gift of a good start.
Anemia in children denies them their opportunity to live and learn, to play and have fun, and to allow them to grow in size and in capacity. School children that are tired during lessons cannot concentrate and cannot make the most of the education, they may have anemia. It is such an easy test to perform and may add to the picture of the child's situation. If the anemia presence is due to iron deficiency: studies show that with iron supplement hemoglobin values can be normalized, and educational achievements can be increased. Anemia due to other reasons needs to be investigated and acted upon.
Shimmering ageing
To be able to retire and retain an active life is something we all hope for. Yet with the change from active life to somewhat less active, there may be symptoms that are easily disregarded with “-I am getting older”. What if it isn't? Less appetite, dizziness, fatigue - are subjective symptoms. A hemoglobin value defined as anemia is a on objective symptom, which can be present due to many reasons. Anemia needs to be tested for and it needs to be acted upon. The color of life should be as vibrant and shimmering as possible rather than pale and weak, it should be healthy and active - inclusion of hemoglobin determination should be part of any health exam.
HemoCue Point-of-Care testing systems give quick and reliable results with laboratory quality. Accurate tests for hemoglobin will together with clinical judgment give a solid basis for good treatment decisions.
