By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
Anaemia is often described in medical terms as a condition in which the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry adequate oxygen to tissues. But outside this medical description, anaemia tells a more human story of lost energy, poor concentration, frequent illness, and lives quietly limited.
Globally, anaemia affects more than 1.6 billion people, making it one of the most common health disorders in the world. In Nigeria, the burden is especially heavy, as women of reproductive age, pregnant women, children under five, and adolescents are the most affected. Yet, despite its prevalence, anaemia rarely commands the urgency it deserves.
Part of the problem is familiarity. Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and pale skin are symptoms that are often brushed aside as stress, malaria, or the normal demands of daily life. In a society like Nigeria, where pushing through exhaustion is almost a badge of honour, anaemia hides in plain sight.
On average, anaemia is often reduced to “low blood”; however, this phrase barely captures the complexity of the condition. Iron-deficiency anaemia is the most common type, usually caused by poor dietary intake, blood loss, or increased nutritional demands during pregnancy and growth. But anaemia can also result from chronic infections, genetic conditions like sickle cell disease, vitamin deficiencies, kidney disease, and inflammatory disorders.
In regions where malaria is endemic, repeated infections destroy red blood cells faster than the body can replace them. Intestinal parasites, common in areas with poor sanitation, silently drain iron from the body. For many Nigerians, anaemia is not caused by one factor but by several overlapping ones.
The Hidden Cost to Society
Anaemia not only weakens individuals, but it also quietly weakens communities and economies. Children with anaemia struggle to concentrate in school, affecting learning and cognitive development. Adults experience reduced productivity and increased absenteeism. Pregnant women with anaemia face higher risks of complications, premature delivery, and maternal mortality.
When anaemia goes untreated, its effects ripple outwards, slowing national development in ways that rarely make headlines but deeply shape everyday life.
Listening to the Body’s Warnings
The body often whispers before it screams. Persistent fatigue, shortness of breath during simple activities, frequent headaches, cold hands and feet, heart palpitations, or unusually pale skin are signals worth paying attention to. Unfortunately, many people seek medical care only when symptoms become severe.
Routine blood tests can easily detect anaemia, yet access to healthcare, cost, and awareness remain barriers for many.
Food as Medicine
Nutrition remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing and managing anaemia. Iron-rich foods such as liver, red meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, spinach, pumpkin leaves, and fortified cereals help rebuild the body’s iron stores. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, making fruits like oranges, guava, and tomatoes valuable allies.
However, food alone may not always be enough. In moderate to severe cases, iron supplements or treatment of underlying conditions are essential and should always be guided by healthcare professionals.
Breaking the Silence
Anaemia thrives in silence, misunderstanding, and neglect. Addressing it requires more than medication; it demands awareness, education, improved maternal and child healthcare, better nutrition policies, and early screening, especially for vulnerable groups.
Most importantly, it requires changing how we perceive tiredness and weakness. Not every exhaustion is “normal”. Sometimes, it is the body asking for help.
A Call to Pay Attention
Anaemia may not announce itself loudly, but its impact is profound. It steals strength quietly, dims potential slowly, and shortens lives unnecessarily. In recognising anaemia for what it truly is, not a minor inconvenience but a major public health concern, we take the first step toward restoring energy, productivity, and dignity to millions of lives, because no one should have to live life constantly running on empty.