In a prospective cost-effectiveness study conducted in Gujarat, India, 188 pregnant women with moderate to severe anemia were compared based on the type of iron treatment received—either intravenous iron sucrose (IVIS) or oral iron (OI). The participants, enrolled during their 14 to 18 weeks of pregnancy from two districts, were tracked through their pregnancy up to the postpartum phase at 42 days. The study measured the changes in hemoglobin levels at various stages, with the IVIS group showing a significant increase from an initial average of 8.2 g/dl to 11.45 g/dl, while the OI group experienced a decrease from 9.99 g/dl to 9.55 g/dl.

The cost per beneficiary for IVIS was estimated at $87.00, versus $49.00 for OI, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $9.84, a fraction (0.049%) of India’s per capita GDP. These results suggest that IVIS therapy is a more effective and economically viable option for managing iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women in resource-limited settings like Gujarat.

Reference: Saha S, Raval D, Shah K, Saxena D. Cost-effectiveness analysis of parenteral iron therapy compared to oral iron supplements in managing iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women. Health Econ Rev. 2024 Jan 2;14(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s13561-023-00474-3. PMID: 38165457; PMCID: PMC10759557.