Abstract:

Background: According to WHO anaemia is a major public health problems in developing countries. The global estimate of childhood anaemia indicates that 293.1 million of children under five years, approximately 43%, are anemic worldwide and 28.5% of these children are residing in Sub Saharan Africa. It is considered to be a major public health problem with prevalence of 67%, equivalent to 83.5 million children in Sub Saharan Africa. Anaemia is one of the largest killers of children admitted to hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even where blood transfusion are available there is a significant case fatality rate of 6-18. Tanzania demographic and health survey reported the prevalence of anaemia to be 55% in Lake Zone which carter eight regions.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anaemia among children admitted at Maswa district hospital in 2015.

Methodology: This was a hospital based retrospective cross-sectional study where the data were collected from the admitted patient records of Maswa district hospital.

Results: Out of 1224 of children admitted in pediatric ward at Maswa district hospital in 2015,499 (40.76%) had anaemia. Out of 499 anaemic patients, 174 which is equivalent to 34.87% had severe anaemia, 144 patient which is equivalent to 28.86% had moderate anaemia and 31 (28.89%) and 181 patients which is equivalent to 36.27% had mild anaemia. And out of 499anaemic patients, 288 patients which is equivalent to 57.72% had a primary diagnosis of severe malaria. Again out of 499 anaemic patients, 36 patients which is equivalent to 7.21% died.