Study design and participants
anaemia, malaria, congenital disorders or chronic diseases
ANAEMIA, WEST, MALARIA
This individually randomised, three-arm, double-blind, controlled, proof-of-concept, non-inferiority trial was conducted in 12 rural communities divided into four geographical clusters in the Kiang East and Jarra West districts of The Gambia, an area with a high prevalence of anaemia and a low endemicity of malaria. Fieldworkers identified children aged 6–23 months at child welfare clinics at the Soma Health Center and Kaiaf Health Center. After obtaining demographic information and written informed consent from the child's primary caregiver at their homes, children were screened at the nearest health centre. Children were eligible for enrolment if they were deemed to be healthy according to a nurse's physical examination; had Z scores for height, weight, and weight-for-height above –3 SD; had a haemoglobin concentration between 70 and 109 g/L; had a negative rapid diagnostic test for malaria; were resident in the study area; their parents or guardians were willing to comply; did not have any congenital disorders or chronic diseases; were not taking regular medication; and were not participating in another study.Full details of the study design are in the published trial protocol.