The Dangers of Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which not enough healthy red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. The poor blood oxygen levels and blood vessel blockages that result lead to chronic, agonizing pain, severe infections, organ failure and potential death.

Close to 500,000 maternal deaths ascribed to childbirth or early post-partum occur every year, the vast majority taking place in the developing world. Anemia is a factor in almost all maternal deaths, and it poses a 5-fold increase in the overall risk of maternal death related to pregnancy and delivery.

NIGERIA

Nigeria has the world’s largest anemia-afflicted population

75% of its children have the condition

1 out of every 5 maternal deaths in Nigeria can be traced to anemia

Prenatal Care

We cover the cost of anemia treatment and prenatal care for 300 vulnerable pregnant women each month.

We have also screened over 25,000 women and children for anemia, including 10,000 in 2018.

We are the ONLY partner in all of Nigeria using Masimo Inc.’s innovative, noninvasive handheld monitors to quickly and painlessly screen patients.

Testing for anemia is often not performed in Africa because it traditionally requires invasive blood draws and lab analysis, which are either too expensive or not readily available.

Masimo provides the technology for this anemia initiative. We are grateful to Stacey Taggart and Guyan Randall for making this life-saving partnership possible!