A cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2007 and January 2008 to investigate the prevalence and types of anaemia among pregnant women of eastern Sudan. Socio-demographic and obstetrical data were collected using a questionnaire. Haemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, serum folate and vitamin B(12) were assessed using standard laboratory methods. Two hundred and seventy-nine pregnant Sudanese women were recruited. Anaemia (Hb <11 gdl) and iron deficiency (ferritin <15 microg/l) were prevalent in 80.3 and 14.3% of the study sample, respectively. Of the total sample, 11.1% had iron-deficiency anaemia. Serum folate (<6.6 ng/ml) and vitamin B(12) (<150 pg/ml) deficiency was reported in 57.7 and 1%, respectively, and none of the women had both folate and vitamin B(12) deficiencies. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that ferritin, serum folate and vitamin B(12) levels were not significantly associated with anaemia. Thus, there was a high prevalence of anaemia and folate deficiency. Measures to control these should be considered.

There was no significant difference in quinine metabolism between pregnant and non-pregnant women and there is no need to adjust quinine dose when treating pregnant women.

Anaemia is a widespread problem especially in the tropics. Among adolescent girls, it has negative consequences on growth, school performance, morbidity and reproductive performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of anaemia, iron, folate, zinc and copper deficiencies amongst adolescent schoolgirls in New Halfa, eastern Sudan, and to examine the relationship of these micronutrients with haemoglobin (Hb) levels. Out of 187 adolescent schoolgirls, 181 (96.8%) had anaemia (Hb<12 g/dl); 21% had mild anaemia (Hb 11.0-11.9 g/dl); 66.8.1% had moderate anaemia (Hb 8.0-10.9 g/dl), and 12.1% had severe anaemia (Hb<8 g/dl), respectively. Iron deficiency (S-ferritin<12 μg/l), iron deficiency anaemia (<12 m/dl and S- ferritin<12 μg/l) and folate deficiency (S-folate<3 ng/ml) were prevalent in 17.6%, 16.5% and 69% of these girls, respectively. Nine percent and 5.9% of these girls had zinc (<75 μg/ml) and copper deficiency (<75 μg/ml), respectively. Twenty-six (14%) girls had ≥ 2 micronutrient deficiencies. S-ferritin and zinc were significantly lower in patients with severe anaemia. Haemoglobin levels were significantly positively correlated with zinc levels (r=0.161, P=0.03) and with copper levels (r=0.151, P=0.03). Thus, interventions are required to prevent and control anaemia in this setting. Further research is needed.

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