Although Bangladesh has made important progress over the last two decades in the area of undernutrition, micronutrient malnutrition still poses a significant public health threat. To increase coverage in hard to reach areas and provide a more regularised supply of vitamin A to the general population, the Government of Bangladesh endorsed a national programme to fortify edible oil with vitamin A.
This program, launched in Afghanistan, aims to increase the availability and access to fortified wheat flour, fortified edible oil and iodised salt by strengthening the regulations and enforcement environment for fortified foods as well as to initiate monitoring of these products at the consumption level.
In the Philippines, the prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency remained high period of three years. The objectives of this survey were to describe the current infant and child feeding practices and identify major individual, family and community factors that contribute to current breastfeeding practices, as well as to determine growth/nutritional and micronutrient status.
Micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron deficiency anaemia, are a public health problem in Egypt, where the prevalence of anaemia reaches about 40%. As a baseline for the fortification project, a field survey was conducted with the objective of assessing iron deficiency anaemia status, and dietary iron and bread consumption among the Egyptian population.
The department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University conducted the Pakistan National Nutrition Survey in 2011 to assess the population nutritional status, particularly among women and children using standard international parameters and indicators. This survey report describes the results of these additional analyses.
In 2008, GAIN began drafting plans to create sustainable market-based solutions to address the problem of micronutrient deficiencies in children in South Africa. This project covers strong benefits for identifying low-cost, scalable methods early on (such as mobile campaigns) to educate and inform customers.
In support of the state government of Rajasthan and the Indian Integrated Child Development Services, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) launched a project to pilot a production model for producing supplementary nutrition via self-help groups.
In 2012, GAIN joined forces with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, to increase the production and distribution of micronutrient powder sachets. This case study describes the approach taken and highlights the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned.
This case study describes the approach taken between GAIN and AP Foods to scale up and improve their production of fortified supplementary foods, such as ready-to-cook mixes for common meals, and highlights the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned.
In India’s largest state of Rajasthan, a high percentage of children are undernourished and are not consuming the necessary vitamins and minerals they need to thrive. This case study describes project approach taken for producing supplemental food and also highlights the key lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities moving forward.