Food fortification, where key micronutrients are added to common food staples, is recommended by the World Health Organization as a way to “fight the consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies” — including iodine deficiency disorders, anemia and iron deficiency, and neural tube defects.
But it does not currently happen at the scale health agencies would like. It’s a cost effective intervention that “reaches the very poorest,” Lawrence Haddad, executive director of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, told Devex. But despite that, more countries are not fortifying staple foods than those that are, he added. “So it feels like a real missed opportunity and unfinished business if you like.”
This was the motivation, Haddad said, for delegates at the 76th World Health Assembly last month to adopt a resolution to accelerate “safe and effective food fortification.”
About the authors
Naomi Mihara
Naomi Mihara is an Associate Editor for Devex, working on creative and audiovisual projects. She has a background in journalism and international development, having previously served as an assistant correspondent for Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and as a communications officer for the International Organization for Migration in Southeast Asia. She holds a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University.
Helen Lock
Helen Lock is a former associate editor at Devex, responsible for commissioning, editing, and producing content on the partnerships editorial team. She has seven years of experience in journalism as a multimedia content producer for an international advocacy organization and as a reporter and section editor for U.K. national newspapers. As a freelance journalist, she covered cities, tech for good, global development, and education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Manchester and a master’s in Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London.
