Number of countries categorized by public health significance of anaemia
| Public health problema | Preschool-age childrenb | Pregnant women | Non-pregnant women |
| Number of countries | Number of countries | Number of countries | |
| None | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Mild | 40 | 33 | 59 |
| Moderate | 81 | 91 | 78 |
| Severe | 69 | 68 | 54 |
a The prevalence of anaemia as a public health problem is categorized as follows: <5%, no public health problem; 5-19.9%, mild public health problem; 20-39.9%, moderate public health problem; ≥40%, severe public health problem.
b Population groups: Preschool-age children (0.00-4.99 yrs); Pregnant women (no age range defined); Non-pregnant women (15.00-49.99 yrs).
Source
de Benoist B et al., eds. Worldwide prevalence of anaemia 1993-2005. WHO Global Database on Anaemia Geneva, World Health Organization, 2008.