Anaemia in Women: The Silent Health Crisis No One's Talking About

In India, a woman who says she is always tired is rarely taken seriously. She is told she needs more sleep, that she is overworked, that it is just the way things are. Rarely does anyone pause to ask whether her body is quietly struggling to keep up. That gap between dismissal and diagnosis is exactly where anaemia hides, and it has been hiding there for far too long.

More Than Just Low Haemoglobin

Anaemia occurs when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to its organs. The most common cause is iron deficiency, though deficiencies in folate, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin A also contribute significantly. Over time, it erodes a woman's energy, focus, and capacity to function, so gradually that most women do not realise something is medically wrong. As a trusted NGO for helping underprivileged communities, Spreading Bliss Foundation has seen this pattern repeat itself across families where women's health is consistently the last priority.

The Numbers Are Impossible to Ignore

According to the National Family Health Survey, 57% of women aged 15 to 49 in India are anaemic, and 52.2% of pregnant women are anaemic. That is more than one in every two women living with a condition that quietly undermines their health every single day. (Source: NFHS-5, 2019-21, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India) Most of them do not know it. Many have never been tested.

Why Women Carry This Burden More

This is not a coincidence. Monthly blood loss through menstruation depletes iron consistently over time. Pregnancy and lactation increase the body's nutritional demands considerably. In many households, particularly those served by charity organisations providing food and healthcare support, women eat last and eat least. The cultural habit of pushing through discomfort means that what should be a red flag is treated as a personality trait. The tiredness becomes invisible because the woman herself has learnt to overlook it.

The Symptoms That Get Brushed Off

This is what makes anaemia so difficult to catch. Its signs do not arrive all at once. They show up quietly as persistent fatigue, dizziness, frequent headaches, shortness of breath during routine tasks, pale skin, and difficulty concentrating. These are things most women attribute to a busy life rather than a condition that deserves medical attention. For women in low-income households, where support for medical treatment for underprivileged children and women remains limited, the gap between symptom and diagnosis grows even wider.

By the time a diagnosis finally comes, anaemia has often been present for months or even years.

Breaking the Cycle Starts Here

The good news is that anaemia is both preventable and manageable. Small, consistent changes make a real difference:

• Include iron-rich foods like spinach, lentils, jaggery, and beans in daily meals
• Pair them with Vitamin C sources like lemon or amla to improve iron absorption
• Avoid tea or coffee immediately after meals as they reduce iron absorption
• Get a routine haemoglobin test done, especially for women of reproductive age
• Consult a doctor before starting any iron supplementation

What We Believe at Spreading Bliss Foundation

As an Indian NGO supporting women and child development, Spreading Bliss Foundation sees every day how a woman's health shapes the wellbeing of her entire family. When she is unwell, quietly and chronically, everything around her is affected too. Anaemia is not a small problem and it is not an inevitable one. Organisations working for women's empowerment and education understand that health and empowerment are inseparable. Awareness is where the change begins. If something has felt persistently off, it deserves to be looked into. A simple blood test could be the first step towards feeling like yourself again.