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Iron deficiency anemia is the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world today. It affects the lives of many millions of human beings throughout their life cycle, especially women and infants, but also older children, adolescents, adult males, and elderly. A major threat to safe motherhood, it contributes to low birth weight, lowered resistance to infection, poor cognitive development, and decreased work capacity. Yet with appropriate public health action, this major form of micronutrient malnutrition can be brought under control. These guidelines are intended to contribute to achieving this end.

A substantial reduction in iron deficiency anemia by the year 2000 was among the important nutritional goals adopted first by the World Summit for Children (1990) and reiterated by the International Conference of Nutrition (1992). There is thus an urgent need for the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Nutritional Anemia Consultative Group (INACG), and other partners to redouble their collaborative efforts in combating iron deficiency anemia and assisting countries in meeting this ambitious goal.