TABLE 2.

Areas considered under this review when assessing the need to introduce DFS in a population¹

Area	Description
Proven need	Evidence should exist on the need in the population for an iron intervention to address iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. This is important because anemia is often used as a proxy indicator for iron deficiency; however, anemia is a condition with multiple etiologies that are not always addressed by additional dietary iron.
Efficacy and effectiveness	Consideration should be given to the ability of DFS to improve iron intake and reduce iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia through consistent delivery to, and consumption by, the target population. Larson et al. (1) elsewhere in this supplement cover this topic.
Contribution to other iron interventions	The relative contribution of DFS in comparison with other iron interventions occurring in the target population, such as other vehicles fortified with iron and iron supplementation programs, is important. The Hurrell (8) article in this supplement covers this topic.
Co-interventions	An understanding of the co-interventions that may be in place (e.g., antihelminthic or antimalarial interventions) is needed to accurately interpret the impact of DFS on improving anemia prevalence relative to other anemia-control interventions, and to inform the safety of providing iron in areas with parasitic infections. This topic is not explicitly covered in this supplement because the focus is on fortification programming.

¹DFS, double-fortified salt.