world iron awareness week
14-21 OCTOBER, 2024
THOUSANDS OF NZERS DON'T GET ENOUGH IRON.
ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?
ABOUT
IRON DEFICIENCY REMAINS AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR MANY NEW ZEALANDERS, WITH MANY UNAWARE THEY HAVE DEFICIENT LEVELS.
World Iron Awareness Week kicks off on 28 August 2023, which means it’s time to take a good hard look at who’s at risk and the implications of going short on dietary iron, and the dietary choices to optimise iron levels.
As one of the most common nutrient deficiencies, it's concerning that 30% of the world's population suffers from iron deficiency. This is particularly seen among women and children, including in New Zealand.
The campaign is proudly supported by a range of organisations to promote healthy iron-rich foods to fuel our nation including: NZ Blood, New Zealand Nutrition Foundation, Nutrition Society of New Zealand, Dietitians New Zealand, Massey University, Toi Tangata, The Asian Network Inc, ProCare, The Vegan Society, The NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology, SportsLab, Wahine Charitable Trust, vegetables.co.nz, Sanford and Sons, Retail Meat New Zealand, NZ Venison, International Meat Secretariat, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Food Writers New Zealand, Global Meat Alliance, NZ Pork and Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
KEY FACTS
8 OUT OF 10 TODDLERS DON'T MEET THE RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE OF DIETARY IRON (1).
AT 7 MONTHS, A BABY NEEDS MORE IRON THAN THEIR DAD (3).
IRON IS CRUCIAL FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN BABIES AND TODDLERS.
1 IN 14 NEW ZEALAND WOMEN ARE LOW IN IRON (4).
14% OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 2 ARE IRON DEFICIENT (2).
OVER 1/3 OF TEENAGE GIRLS DON'T ACHIEVE THEIR DAILY IRON REQUIREMENTS (4).
15.6% OF WOMEN AGED
35-44 YEARS HAVE IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA (IDA) (5).
1: Wall, CR et al. (2008). Ethnic variance in iron status: is it related to dietary intake? Public Health Nutr 12 (9):1413-1421. 2: Grant, CC et al. (2007). Population prevalence and risk factors for iron deficiency in Auckland, New Zealand. J Paediatr Child Health 43: 532-538. 3. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including Recommended Dietary Intakes. Canberra: NHMRC, Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2006. 4: University of Otago and Ministry of Health. (2011). A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health. 5: Ministry of Health. 2020. Biochemical Data Explorer 2014/15: New Zealand Health Survey.
WHAT'S ON
Check back here for some of the work our supporters are doing during World Iron Awareness Week
