According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia is defined as a decrease in
haemoglobin concentration below the reference values relating to age, sex and physiological condition.
It is a widespread public health problem with major consequences on health, as well as on economic
and social development.
The objective of this study was to characterize anaemia in children aged 0 to 5 years in the
Haematology Laboratory of the Yalgado OUEDRAOGO University Hospital in Ouagadougou. It was a
descriptive cross-sectional study that took place from January 2020 to December 2020 and which
collected 1,179 children. The average age was 23±22 months. The average haemoglobin level was 104.6
± 33.2 g/L. The prevalence of anaemia was 61%. Anemia affected 59% of boys, i.e. a sex ratio of 1.42.
The age group 0-5 months was the most affected by anaemia, with a frequency of 21%. The monthly
distribution of anaemia over the 12 months of the study revealed higher frequencies in June, August,
September and October. Microcytic anaemia was the most common (66%), followed by normocytic
anaemia (33%) and macrocytic anaemia (1%). Anaemia was mainly moderate in 55% of cases, followed
by mild anaemia (26%) and severe anaemia (19%).

Anemia, child, 0 to 5 years, overview