Fortification of Vegetable oil and Sugar with Vitamin A in Uganda

differences of household members. These differences, however, can be considered using
the FAO “adult consumption equivalents” (ACEs) algorithms. By applying these
algorithms (discussed in Annex 3), households consumption can be standardized by
using the energy requirements of adult males.
Figure 2.2 shows the percentage of Ugandan households that purchase each of the four
most commonly discussed food fortification vehicles. In 2003, sugar was the most
commonly purchased, followed by oil. When the analysis looks at the proportion of
households purchasing either sugar or oil, as in Figure 2.3, we see that a fortification
program based on both these foods would cover 76 percent of Ugandan households. The
HIES shows the joint distribution of sugar and oil consumption. Unless food
consumption survey data are available, HIES will provide empirical evidence of this type.
70%
65%
60%
57%
50%
40%
38%
30%
20%
16%
10%
0%
Sugar Oil Maize Bread
Figure 2.2: Percentages of households purchasing food fortification vehicles in Uganda in 2003.
90%
80%
76%
70%
65%
60%
57%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Sugar Oil Sugar & Oil
Figure 2.3: Single and combined purchasing of sugar and oil by Uganda households in 2003.
The relative merits of the HIES become even more apparent when fortifying more than a
single food is considered. With the HIES one can examine which households consume
only one, or the other, or both of the food vehicles and the quantities in which they are
consumed. The HIES approach allows investigating how the distribution of household
food purchases varies by household characteristics which can be used to estimate the
impact of fortification on persons with micronutrient deficiencies, and offer insights on
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