GAIN Convenes Pan-African Meeting on Food Fortification

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, September 19, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) (http://www.gainhealth.org) today convened a workshop in Addis Abeba among key partners from 11 countries across Africa to share lessons learned, successes, challenges and next steps in reducing malnutrition through large-scale food fortification.

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While progress has been seen in decreasing micronutrient deficiencies in Africa and rolling-out national food fortification programs, more work remains to be done. Vitamin A status is still at levels of public health concern in West Africa, where more than 40% of the children suffer from vitamin A deficiency (UN Standing Committee on Nutrition). In Ethiopia, malnutrition in the form of vitamin and mineral deficiencies results in an estimated loss of nearly half a billion dollars gross domestic product per year due to lost workforce, future potential, and labor productivity (Concern Worldwide/World Bank). Food fortification is, as the World Bank states, “a technology available today that offers a large opportunity to improve lives and accelerate development at a low cost and in a short amount of time.”

“GAIN is committed to disseminating the important lessons drawn from this workshop on food fortification to replicate sustainable best practices and models across Africa that will improve the lives of millions,” said Marc Van Ameringen, Executive Director of GAIN. “We are excited to support the region and Ethiopia in scaling up its capacity to produce – and increase access to – more nutritious, affordable foods for its populations,” added Mr. Van Ameringen.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

Media Contacts:

Alem Abay, Country Manager, Ethiopia

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Office: + 251 910 099821

Email: [email protected]

Karie Atkinson, Communications

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Office: + 41 (0)22 749 17 83

Email: [email protected]

About GAIN in Ethiopia

GAIN (http://www.gainhealth.org) began working in Ethiopia in 2008 through its partnership with UNICEF to increase access to adequately iodized salt. GAIN continues to support the Federal Ministry of Health and the private sector to carry out activities including product development and production, consumer demand creation, local capacity building in quality assurance and control as well as advocacy for legislation and regulations to support better nutrition.

About GAIN

Driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition, GAIN (http://www.gainhealth.org) was created in 2002 at a Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly on Children. GAIN supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets necessary for people, communities and economies to be stronger and healthier. With a current daily reach of over 610 million people (half of whom are women and children) in more than 30 countries GAIN's goal is to improve the lives of 1.5 billion people within the most vulnerable populations around the world through access to sustainable nutrition solutions. For more information, please visit us at http://www.gainhealth.org, follow us on Twitter @GAINalliance and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GAINalliance.