Prevalence and Pattern of Anaemia among New Entry Students in a Secondary School in Warri, Delta State

Anaemia in children and adolescent constitute a major public health concern as it may affect cognitive development, concentration and performance in school. 460 new entry students aged 9yrs to 17yrs were screened for anaemia after collecting venous blood over a period of two months. Anaemia was catergorized and graded on WHO criteria. 70% of the students had no anaemia while 30% had anaemia. Of those who had anaemia, 97% had mild anaemia and 3% had moderate anaemia while none had severe anaemia. prevalence of anaemia was more in the male children (42%) while it was more in the female adolescent (32%). It concludes that anaemia is prevalent among new entry children and adolescents in Warri primarily presenting as mild to moderate anemia. This emphasizes the need for targeted school-based nutritional and health interventions to mitigate anemia in this vulnerable group. These interventions may include health education, routine screening, routine de-worming, school nutrition and food fortification and improved sanitation especially around the school premises and improved Government policy and funding.