Tanzania: Iron Supplements Linked to Malaria Deaths

A major study based on evidence gathered from the Tanzanian island of Pemba has concluded that giving generalised iron and folic acid supplements to young children in malarial areas increases the likelihood of those children dying.The London-based medical journal "The Lancet" has published details of the trial which points out that the World Health Organisation still recommends routine supplementation with iron and folic acid in countries where anaemia is widespread - despite growing scientific opinion that anaemia could be a natural defence against the malarial parasite.