GCRF Anaemia Network (ANET)

Anaemia remains a major public health problem to control in sub-Saharan Africa due to its complex causes which vary from not only direct health diseases (like iron deficiency, malaria etc) but to many predisposing causes in the the environment, culture, poverty and inequalities, and poor health and governance systems. Furthermore, anaemia control suffers from disjointed, fragmented approaches with individual programmes using different definitions of anaemia and tackling the problem from different perspectives. We aim to develop an interdisciplinary network that can lead in the control of this intractable challenge of anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa by leading cutting-edge research and facilitating the uptake and implementation of innovative solutions to prevent anaemia. We will bring together scientific experts in nutrition, food technology, global health, agriculture, social science, psychology, molecular biology and economics. We shall further include representatives of policy makers, international donor agencies, non-governmental organizations, commercial companies working in drug and food manufacturing and the public. They will firstly raise the awareness of the need for an inter-sectorial and harmonized approach to its control and secondly develop a strategic plan for research and programme implementation.

See Pathways to Impact