Anemia is a condition where the blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to the tissues of the body. Iron-deficiency anemia is due to a lack of iron. It is the most common kind of anemia and the most common nutritional illness in the world. Iron-deficiency anemia can result in poor pregnancy outcomes and impaired physical and cognitive development in children. No routine iron-deficiency screening or supplementation program is offered in Canada for immigrants, either before or after their arrival.¹ Immigrant and refugee women and children have a higher prevalence of anemia (15%–28%) than the Canadian-born population (2%–10%), excluding First Nations populations.² According to the World Health Organization the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children ranges from 21% to 68% and for women of childbearing age it is 18% to 48%.³ It can occur for several reasons including intestinal parasitic infections, dietary iron deficiency, menstrual blood loss, and pregnancy. Immigrants and refugees coming from regions with limited access to iron-rich foods, higher rates of infectious disease and higher numbers of births are at risk for iron deficiency.