Nutrition
Kenyans have been urged to increase the consumption of iodine especially in food in a bid to eliminate micronutrients deficiency which is responsible for a variety of health and development disorders collectively referred to as Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD).
Iodine deficiency, a leading cause of mental retardation, is especially damaging from the first stages of pregnancy into young childhood.
Speaking in Mombasa during a regional consultation on Sustainable Food Fortification (FF) and Universal Salt iodization (USI) in Mombasa, Iodine Global Network (IGN) Coordinator for Eastern and Southern Africa region Professor Festo Kavishe said that even mild to moderate deficiency could cause cognitive impairment.
He said the regional coordination mechanism would accelerate efforts to prevent micronutrients deficiencies through coordinated fortification of staple foods and universal salt iodization across 25 countries from four regional communities: SADC, ECSA-HC, The East African Community (EAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
He noted that the deficiency of essential vitamins and essential minerals collectively known as ‘hidden huger’ deprive children of their vitality at every stage of life and undermine the health and wellbeing of children, young people, and mothers.
“The meeting, which is organized by Kenya’s Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, GAIN, Nutrition International and the Iodine Global Network (IGN) will also explore strategies for achieving the World Health Assembly targets for 2025 of eliminating IDD in all countries and communities,” he said.
According to Prof. Kavishe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East, Central and Southern African Health Community member states where iodine deficiency is endemic, and partners conceived the Food Fortification and Universal Salt Iodization Regional Coordination Mechanism (FF/USI RCM) to coordinate partner efforts towards accelerating country programs for the prevention.
He said that a total of 25 countries including Kenya have come up with strategies that would ensure micronutrients such as iodine are added in food stuff that are mostly consumed daily such as maize flour, wheat flour, rice, among other products to help in boosting the brain capacity of its citizens and boost productivity.
According to a report by In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries, the prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age (15-49 years) ranges between 21 percent (Malawi, Namibia, and Seychelles) to 54 percent in Mozambique.
According to the World Health Organization, a prevalence of 20 percent or above is referred to as a severe public health concern. “Iodine deficiency is the world’s most preventable cause of brain damage and has long been endemic in all countries of Eastern and Southern Africa. Folate deficiencies are known to cause Spina Bifida and the other neural tube defects,” said Kavishe.
A section of the delegates in attendance follows proceedings during the regional consultations on sustainable universal salt iodization and food fortification for sustainable prevention of iodine deficiency disorders, Mombasa.
Photos by Andrew Hinga
He noted that key stakeholders from Eastern and Southern Africa have taken to task and come up to advance efforts aimed at eradicating micronutrient deficiencies in the region. He added that at least 130 key participants, including government officials, industry experts, and regional and international partners would participate in the discussion.
The aim is to review and assess the status of food fortification and USI programmes across the region. “The primary goal is to foster collaboration, share best practices, and agree on an evidence-based strategic road map aimed at eliminating micronutrient deficiencies in eastern and Southern Africa by scaling up large-scale food fortification,” he said.
He said they would also review the progress and challenges of existing FF and USI programmes.
He added that they would also discuss the findings of the 2022 mid-term review of the USI/IDD roadmap, adopting a framework for the regional strategic action plan (2025-2030) to accelerate sustainable food fortification and supporting countries in the region to implement and monitor the World Health Assembly’s (WHA) 2023 resolution on food fortification.
He noted that the consultation aims to deliver several key outputs, including a 2024 Mombasa declaration on preventing and controlling micronutrients deficiency.
SADC and the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA_HC) member states have adopted food fortification as a key strategy to address micronutrient inadequacies, such as adding iron and folic acid to staple foods to increase consumption of diversified diets, micronutrient supplementation, and universal salt iodization (USI) for the prevention of iodine deficiency disorder (IDD).
The World Health Assembly Resolution adopted food fortification as an effective and sustainable method to deliver micronutrients to at-risk populations. The resolution emphasized the use of data, multi-sectoral collaboration, strengthened surveillance, and knowledge sharing to inform food fortification programs.
Member states were urged to use available scientific evidence, guidance, and tools to design, develop, operationalize, and monitor the population impact of their USI and food fortification programs.
Food fortification programmes face several challenges, including inadequate recent data on key biomarkers, poor infrastructure, and logistics for distributing fortified foods, low affordability at the household level, lack of awareness or consumer acceptance, competing public health priorities, and unsustainable systems for procuring pre-mixes.
“Addressing these challenges requires a multi-sectoral approach involving governments, industry, civil society organizations, research and academic institutions, and international partners. Lessons learned from the progress made in USI programs can be used to guide the way forward for both USI and LSFF,” he said.