# Anemia found in 51.4% of children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia's Qoloji displacement camp, cross-sectional study

- Published: 2026-11-13 17:58 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: anemia in children, Qoloji camp, Somali Region Ethiopia, displaced people health, HemoCue Hb 301, dietary diversity, household food insecurity, cross-sectional study, complementary feeding, antenatal care
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-554223f13ebcc4c0614ac1b3_anemia_found_in/

**A survey of 401 children in the Qoloji camp in Somali Region found anemia in over half. Food insecurity and low dietary diversity were among the associated factors.**

![Anemia found in 51.4% of children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia's Qoloji displacement camp, cross-sectional study](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/210bd3a0b1e9db2d.jpg)
*Vioximiko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

A community-based cross-sectional study in the Qoloji internally displaced people camp, Somali Region, eastern Ethiopia, found anemia in 51.4% of children aged 6 to 59 months (95% CI: 46.6–56.4%), according to results published in Conflict and Health [1]. The study included 401 children. Hemoglobin was measured in February–March 2024.

## Severity and measurement

Of the anemic children, 29.4% had mild, 16.7% moderate and 5.2% severe anemia, the authors reported [1]. Hemoglobin was determined from capillary blood with a HemoCue Hb 301 analyzer. The mean hemoglobin across all children was 11.3 g/dL (SD 2.1). The authors note that this prevalence places the camp in the category of a serious public health problem under World Health Organization criteria.

The camp lies about 60 km west of Jijiga. Round 21 data of the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix put its population at about 79,148 people in 12,834 households. One child per household was selected from a registry of about 6,000 households with eligible children, using random numbers. Children with serious illness, active bleeding, or recent iron or vitamin supplements or transfusion were excluded. The participation rate was 95.2%.

## Associated factors

In multivariable logistic regression, five factors were associated with anemia [1]:

- inadequate dietary diversity (AOR 7.9; 95% CI 4.4–13.9);
- household food insecurity (AOR 5.4; 95% CI 2.8–10.2);
- lack of antenatal care follow-up during pregnancy (AOR 3.5; 95% CI 1.8–6.7);
- no formal education of the mother (AOR 2.8; 95% CI 1.3–5.7);
- start of complementary feeding before 6 months (AOR 2.6; 95% CI 1.5–4.6).

Among the participants, 70.8% of households were food insecure, 52.4% of children had inadequate dietary diversity, and 60.1% began complementary foods before six months. No formal schooling was reported for 79.4% of mothers or caregivers, and 64.1% of households lacked access to healthcare facilities.

The authors conclude that interventions should address household food security, access to maternal education, and the spread of nutrition and health information [1]. The design is cross-sectional, so the associations do not establish causes.

## Sources

1. [Conflict and Health](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-026-00810-4)
2. [bioengineer.org](https://bioengineer.org/over-half-of-young-children-in-ethiopias-qoloji-displaced-camp-have-anemia)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-554223f13ebcc4c0614ac1b3_anemia_found_in/