Anaemia has long been recognized as an important public health problem in Mauritius and has been variously attributed to hookworm infection, malnutrition and malaria. Investigations carried out in recent years by the World Health Organization at the request of the Government of Mauritius-and reported in this article-have shown that the anaemia is mainly hypochromic and microcytic and that it responds readily to treatment with oral iron in small doses. Feeding trials have provided evidence that enrichment with iron of the national diet would be an effective public health measure against the anaemia.