Introduction: Anaemia in pregnancy is a global problem with deleterious consequences. It remains unacceptably high despite various interventions. There is scarcity of data on the prevalence of anaemia among women admitted in labour in Uganda. We therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anaemia (Hb<11g/dl) among women admitted in labour at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed where women in labour at 28+weeks of gestation were approached. Data was collected from 337 participants using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Haemoglobin concentration was obtained using portable HemoCueRHb 301 system. The prevalence of anaemia was determined as a proportion of women with hemoglobin < 11.0g/dl. A logistic regression analysis was then performed for factors associated with anaemia. Results: The prevalence of anaemia among women admitted in labour was 20.5%. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, women admitted with preterm labour (<37 weeks of gestation) were about five times more likely to have anaemia (AOR:4.63,95%CI: 2.31-9.26, p<0.001). Women who were HIV positive were about five times more likely to have anaemia in pregnancy (AOR:4.52,95%CI:2.22-9.17, p<0.001).However, association between inconsistent intake of iron supplements in the last month prior to admission and anaemia found at bivariate analysis was not confirmed in the adjusted model. Conclusion and recommendations: Anaemia among women admitted in labour was high in our setting and positively associated with HIV infection and preterm labour. Women with these conditions in resource limited settings should routinely have a haemoglobin test so that timely interventions are done.

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