Compliance to prenatal iron and folic acid supplement and associated factors among women during pregnancy in south east Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Anemia is a global public health problem affecting two billion people worldwide. Globally, 41.8% of pregnant women and 30.2% of non-pregnant women are anaemic [1]. At least half of this anemia burden is assumed to be due to iron deficiency [2]. Many studies documented the adverse effects of maternal anemia, 12.8% and 3.7% of maternal mortality in Asia and Africa respectively is directly attributable to anemia [3]. In Ethiopia, anemia is the severe problem affecting 62.7% of pregnant mothers and 52.3% non-pregnant women [4,5]. During pregnancy anemia have negative consequence both for mother and the infant. For mother, the consequences of anemia include reduced energy and capacity for work poor pregnancy and birth outcomes including premature delivery, low birth weight, and increased prenatal mortality and increased risk of death during delivery and postpartum. It is estimated that as many as 20% of maternal deaths are caused by anemia and that anemia may be an associated cause in as many as 50% of maternal deaths worldwide [6].