Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional problems in Timor-Leste. Table
12.13 indicates that three in ten pregnant women (28 percent) are anemic. To address the problem of
anemia in women, iron-folic acid supplementation was introduced as part of the Ministry of Health
programming, covering all 13 districts. The program involved distributing iron-folic acid supplements
to pregnant women through health facilities and SISCa.
Table 12.13 shows that overall 21 percent of Timorese women age 15-49 are anemic, with 18
percent mildly anemic, 4 percent moderately anemic, and less than 1 percent severely anemic 4 .
However, pregnant women are more likely to be anemic than women who are neither pregnant nor
breastfeeding (28 percent and 19 percent, respectively).
Anemia is higher among rural than urban women (22 percent versus 19 percent). Anemia
ranges from 10 percent in Ainaro to 33 percent in Manatuto. There is a higher prevalence of anemia in
women with no education and in those in the lowest wealth quintile. Women using IUDs are more
likely to be anemic (27 percent) than women who do not use IUDs.
4 The level of anemia in women reported in the 2003 DHS cannot be compared with the 2009-10 TLDHS data
as no adjustment for smoking was made in the 2003 DHS.
Nutrition of Children and Women | 171