Clinicians in low‐ and middle‐income settings need better access to point‐of‐care haemoglobin tests for identifying and managing children and pregnant women with severe anaemia

Around one in four people around the world are affected by anaemia, with 52 million person years lived with disability due to anaemia in 2021 [1]. While anaemia is common around the world, people living in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia are most affected, with pregnant women and children bearing the brunt [1]. Severe anaemia can be life-threatening and requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The World Health Organization lists automated full blood counts as an essential in vitro diagnostic for use in clinical laboratories, and haemoglobinometers for use in community settings and health facilities without laboratories [2]. In particular, haemoglobin is one of six pathology and laboratory tests that the World Health Organization recommends that all pregnant women should receive [3]. Point-of-care (POC) haemoglobin tests can also be useful for urgent clinical care decisions in settings where there is access to laboratories, as they can provide results very quickly. However, access to these important diagnostic tests is limited.