Central   Journal of Hematology & Transfusion Cite this article: Yadav AK, Salih A (2015) Anaemia in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep: Perspectives from a Hospital Based Study. J Hematol Transfus 3(1): 1038. *Corresponding author Amit Kuma r Ya d a v, Pa tho lo g ist, Ind ira G a nd hi Ho sp ita l, Ka va ra tti, La ksha d we e p , Ind ia , Te l: 91-93-502-706-54; Ema il Submitte d: 06 July 2015 Accepted: 12 August 2015 Publishe d: 14 August 2015 ISSN: 2333-6684 Copyright © 2014 Ya d a v e t a l. OPEN ACCESS Ke ywo rds • Anaemia • Ka va ra tti Isla nd • La ksha d we e p • Pub lic he a lth Research Article Anaemia in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep: Perspectives from a Hospital Based Study Amit Kumar Yadav* and Anwar Salih Department of Pathology, Indira Gandhi Hospital, India Abstract Introduction- Anaemia is a major public health problem in developing countries like India. Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep is a remote island located in Arabian sea. There is no data on anaemia available from here. Objectives of this study are to examine status of anaemia and compare the data with Indian, Kerala and Maldives fgures. Materials & Methods- A total of 2000 patients were studied. Data from the anaemic individuals was collected and analyzed. The study group was subsequently divided into smaller subgroups on the basis of age and sex for analysis. The anaemia was also correlated with other haematological parameters like TLC, DLC, platelet count and ESR. Results- The prevalence of anaemia in adult males was 21.5% and in females 37.8%. In pregnant females anaemia was still more common (47.5%). Among children 24.6% were anaemic with female children showing higher percentage (27.4%) than males (22.9%). Anaemia was quite common in the elderly (36.6%) and even higher in elderly females (43.5%). Elderly males showed alterations in TLC and DLC while alteration in platelet count was most common in male children. Discussion- The present study is the frst study to examine anaemia at Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep. On comparison the anaemia indicators were found to be vastly superior than those from India, Kerala and Maldives. However, in adult females and elderly females the situation demands urgent public health intervention. Conclusion – Anaemia is signifcantly less common in Kavaratti island, Lakshadweep. The important lessons learnt can be implemented in other places to bring down the prevalence of anaemia. ABBREVIATIONS NFHS-3: National Family Health Survey-3; TLC: Total Leukocyte Count; DLC: Differential Leukocyte Count; ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; Hb: Haemoglobin; S.D.: Standard Deviation; WHO: World Health Organization. INTRODUCTION The assessment of human health status can be carried out by using various biological parameters. Amongst these various parameters anaemia is one of the most important parameters as it has an immense impact on the general health and well being of an individual [1]. Anaemia is a global health problem whose burden is particularly severe in developing countries. In India, anaemia is a public health problem of epic proportions. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in 2005-2006 showed that the prevalence of anaemia was 70% in children in the age group of 6–59 months, 55% in females between 15–49 years, and 24% in males aged 15–49 years [2]. The situation is further compounded by the fact that in large number of cases anaemia does not lead to overt symptoms [3]. Therefore, analysis of laboratory data is necessary to estimate the magnitude of this problem. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 36 islands located in the Arabian Sea with an area of 32 sq km. The literal meaning of the name in Malayalam and Sanskrit is ‘a hundred thousand islands’. It is India’s smallest Union Territory. Kavaratti Island is the capital and the principal town of Lakshadweep. It is located between 10 o 32 ’ and 10 o 35 ’ N latitude and 72 o 35 ’ and 72 o 40 ’ E longitude, having an area of 4.22 sq km. The main occupation of the people is fishing, coconut cultivation and coir twisting. Indira Gandhi Hospital is the largest hospital in Lakshadweep. It was established in 1972. The hospital was upgraded to the present strength of 50 beds in 1986. The hospital also acts as a referral