...Gates Foundation, on the recently released National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey and using food fortification to combat...
TheCable’s editor-at-large, speaks with Caroline Jehu-Appiah, deputy director, Health and Nutrition, at the Nigeria Country Office of the Gates Foundation, on the recently releasedand issues around using food fortification to combat malnutrition, anaemia and other micronutrient deficiency illnesses.
In addition, the supply of cooking oil fortified with Vitamin A increased by 28 percent. From all of these, we have an additional 125.7 million more Nigerians with access to fortified sugar, 73.5 million more to fortified wheat flour and 13.8 million more to edible oil. This progress recorded within just 4 years is enough motivation to scale up the coordinated effort.
First, there is an increase in commercial and industrial fortification, where large-scale food processing and producing industries are applying fortification on corn meal, wheat flour, sugar and cooking oil. This increase is important given that this category of foods forms the basis of the Nigerian diet. We have also observed an increase in home fortification of Vitamin D drops.
TheCable: Could you elaborate on the “Millers for Nutrition” initiative and its role in advancing food fortification in Nigeria?Millers for Nutrition is an industry-led coalition that aims to address malnutrition by ensuring that Nigerians have access to the nutritious food they need to lead healthier and more productive lives. It was launched in March 2024 during the 9th Agrofood Nigeria Exhibition and Summit.
TheCable: What has been the role of critical partners like The Gates Foundation, TechnoServe, and GAIN in these fortification efforts?Having been a media ally on this journey, you will agree that these partners and many more are working in a concerted effort to improve critical health outcomes through Large-Scale Food Fortification in Nigeria. We have committed resources and funding at varying scales.
We also know that there are many ways to tackle malnutrition; but one fundamental way is to ensure that the food that the people eat has essential vitamins and minerals – vitamin A, iodine, folic acid, iron and zinc. Large-scale food fortification is a safe, proven and cost-effective way to deliver these micronutrients to the people who need them most.
Partners are working assiduously to ramp up the dissemination of information on the benefits of food fortification to households. Unfortunately, the cause of this low awareness includes social norms and socio-economic challenges. A good example is how many people at the household level can recognize malnutrition but fail to associate it with the lack of fortified foods, sometimes they attribute it to spiritual problems instead.
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