The odds of anaemia at baseline was greater in females (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.34 [95% CI 1.05, 1.71]) and patients who were younger than 5 years (AOR = 10.37 [6.09, 17.67]), G6PD deficient (AOR = 2.88 [1.14, 7.32]) and enrolled in regions of short relapse periodicity (AOR = 1.94 [1.01, 3.71]) (Additional file 1: Table S9). The gene discussed is G6PD; the disease is anemia (phenotype).