Anemia poses a major risk to young children in Peru

Americas Now

It’s a hidden disease that affects hundreds of thousands of children each year in Peru. Anemia.

Peru has made great strides in reducing chronic childhood malnutrition. According to the World Bank, people from around the world visit the country to learn their approach to treating the condition. But Peru has been less fortunate in combating another public health problem that’s not as well-known.

Anemia is a blood disorder that results from a lack of iron which is needed to carry oxygen to the blood. And in Peru it affects 2-in-5 children under the age of 3, slowing their development.

The government has set a goal of cutting the illness in half by 2021. Awareness is key in combating anemia and the first months of life are crucial.

Correspondent Dan Collyns reports from Cuzco.

A university student in Peru has come up with a potential solution to decreasing anemia levels in children. He invented an anti-anemia biscuit. It’s iron-enriched and includes cocoa, quinoa and cow blood. One mother said the biscuit gave her anemic daughter a big boost of energy.