Hospital morbidity and mortality due to anemia in Brazil, 2015-2024

Introduction: Anemia is a condition characterized by reduced hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, which may be caused by a deficiency of one or more essential nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. It represents a major public health problem. From a global perspective, the WHO classifies iron deficiency anemia as the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. When anemia is not adequately treated at the outpatient level of PHC, patients may progress to more severe conditions, requiring hospitalization and intensive care. Objective: To investigate the profile of morbidity and mortality due to anemia in Brazil over the last 10 years. Methodology: Cross-sectional epidemiological study, with a temporal cut, referring to the period from 2015 to 2024, on anemia in Brazil, using secondary data from the Hospital Information System of the SUS (SIH-SUS) /TABNET/DATASUS - Ministry of Health/Brazil. Results: There were n=873794 hospitalizations, most in the Southeast (n=47354), followed by the Northeast (n=26752). The most affected gender was female, representing 55%. The race with the highest morbidity was brown (n=351977). Most care was on an emergency basis, with n=810146 hospitalizations. Regarding the category, in Brazil, Anemia/Other Anemias prevailed (n=748781), compared to the Iron Deficiency classification (n=125013). Regarding deaths in Brazil, there were a total of n=44220 deaths due to hospitalizations/anemia in the decade under analysis. Final considerations: Anemia remains a pathology of high epidemiological relevance in Brazil, reflecting high rates of hospital morbidity and mortality and significant costs for the health system. Improving health indicators related to anemia depends on effective coordination between public policies, professional training and preventive actions in PHC, which would produce, in the long term, effective structural changes in public health.