During critical periods of growth and development, such as pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, nutrition is essential. Malnutrition is a huge problem all over the world with serious consequences, both social and economical. At the individual level, it may lead to impaired health and reduced quality of life.
The reason for people not having enough food, or nutritious food can vary. Excellent food programs are implemented by the UN, WHO and many other international Non-Government Organizations. However when supply is limited, there must be a way to determine who to help. This can be done by measuring hemoglobin - setting a target value for women and children on which, food provisions are based. This is already on-going in many countries by the iNGO's and also under the leadership of the National Minister of Health in the developed as well as in the developing world. With very good results.
Fast food, loss of appetite due to underlying illness, poverty and unawareness. These are also reasons for malnutrition - yet from another angle and maybe also with different effects.
A pregnant woman needs more nutritious food than prior to her pregnancy. If she is malnourished the baby risks being stunted, which can happen when anemia and malnutrition is combined. If the food intake is higher than needed and high in calories, she may suffer from gestational diabetes. A baby with high birth weight could lead to a complicated delivery.
To "Reduce poverty" and "Zero hunge"r are Goals No. 1 and 2 in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. HemoCue cannot reduce poverty or eradicate hunger, but we can certainly help to raise awareness of the goals and provide point-of-care testing solutions for screening of anemia which does support in reaching UN Goal No. 3 "Health".
