Introduction
deaths, iron deficiency, Anemia, anemia
AIDS, ANEMIA, IRON DEFICIENCY, ANEMIA, COMPLICATIONS
Anemia is a condition in which the hemoglobin concentration required to carry oxygen in venous blood is < 11 g/dl in the first and third trimesters and 10.5 g/dl in the second trimester [The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women is estimated to be 38% worldwide, 36.9% in Africa and 23% in Ethiopia [Anemia can be caused by both nutritional and non-nutritional factors, with iron deficiency being the most common cause [Globally, Anemia is estimated to contribute for more than 115,000 or 20% of all maternal deaths and is also responsible for 591,000 prenatal deaths per year [Anemia can be prevented by creating awareness for pregnant mothers on iron supplementation, counseling on taking iron reach diet, deworming, consistent use of insecticide treated bed net, nutritional counseling, food diversification, iron and folic acid supplementations and by treating the underlying causes and complications [One of In Ethiopia, the routine nutrition education given for pregnant women by the health system are inconsistent and mostly the nutritional counselling is also missed most of the time. Even in the healthcare institutions where the nutritional counselling is provided to pregnant women, it is incomplete and not supported with appropriate visual aids. Health care professionals has been advising pregnant women to eat one additional meal from available foodstuffs [In Ethiopia, data on the effect of intensive nutrition education and counseling intervention on hemoglobin level of pregnant women were scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of intensive nutrition education and counseling in improving the hemoglobin level of pregnant women in East Shoa Zone. The results of the study will be an input to planners and policymakers at the national and regional level to amend nutrition education during pregnancy.