Paper short abstract:

We examine how anemia became a public health risk and target of government interventions in Puno (Peru), the standards and technologies used to diagnose anemia, and how local knowledges can expand medicalized approaches to nutrition and health in rural communities.

Paper long abstract:

Our paper is based on preliminary research that examines how anemia has been defined and why it became a public health emergency in Puno, Peru. Often associated with conditions of poverty, inequality, and marginalization, anemia intersects with discourses around economic productivity, development, and progress. Bodily data showing “iron deficiency” and therefore high rates of anemia (especially in young children and pregnant women) have prompted officials and experts to make anemia prevention a regional and national priority. The availability of rapid tests that measure hemoglobin levels facilitated the detection of anemia and increased awareness of iron deficiency among the general population. Consequently, the prevalence of anemia diagnoses in rural communities marked a shift in how people understand health and nutrition, and children “at risk” became a target of public health interventions. High rates of anemia among populations in situation of poverty may reflect the medicalization of social problems that are inextricably tied to the legacies of colonialism and economic marginalization. Moreover, it puts the focus on individuals, making them the target of campaigns to “improve” their lifestyle, personal habits, and food preferences. Based on documentary research and semi-structured interviews with anemia experts in Peru, this paper aims to address the following questions: How is bodily data translated into lack of iron and used to define anemia? What are the standards and technologies used to diagnose anemia among people from rural communities in Puno? In what ways can local knowledges expand medicalized approaches to nutrition and health in rural communities?