Sub-Saharan African countries suffer from massive and increasing vitamin and mineral deficiency conditions among their citizens, more than in other regions of the world, and they are failing to meet the Millennium Development Goals targets, especially those related to maternal and child health.1 In a recent Journal article, Yach et al.2 place great emphasis on the role of the food industry in combating undernutrition in developing countries, including through fortification of staple foods.
In sub-Saharan Africa, urban and rural populations increasingly consume processed foods such as commercial baked goods, flour, oil, sugar, and salt. Common fortification combinations which have proven successful in other areas are well within the technical capacity of local industry. These include fortification of salt with iodine, flour with iron and B-complex vitamins (including folic acid), and others, such as sugar with vitamin A and zinc (as done in Latin America), in keeping with the 2006 World Health Organization Guidelines for Fortification of Basic Foods.3
Eliminating widespread vitamin and mineral deficiencies won't happen without effective governmental public health policies and leadership, not only to fortify basic foods but also to provide supplements for at-risk groups.4,5 Nigeria's mandatory salt iodization program provides one example of such policy making that has enjoyed great success.6,7 Public health professionals and policy makers in state and local government, with the support of international agencies, have a moral responsibility to promote more aggressive national nutrition policies. Even developed countries in Europe need competent governmental leadership to mandate fortification of flour with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.8
References
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