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64PROGRAMME NEWSwww.unsystem.org/scnHKI Initiative to fortify West AfricaHelen Keller International (HKI) has recently embarked on a Fortify West Africa initiative which aims to contribute to thesurvival and development of women and children in West Africa. Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals (VMDs),such as vitamin A, iron and folic acid, are major causes of premature death, disability and reduced work capacitythroughout the world. VMDs account for 10% of the global disease burden. One of the most cost-effective and sustainablestrategies to control VMDs is to engage private sector food companies in food fortification and to promote wide consumptionof these foods by those at risk. Food fortification is a common practice in North America and Europe, and HKIhas led efforts to bring this technology to sub-Saharan Africa.In partnership with the professional association of cooking oil producers of the 8-nation Economic and Monetary Unionof West Africa and the West African Health Organization, HKI launched a regional cooking oil fortification initiative inApril 2007 with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Michael &Susan Dell Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Government of Taiwan, the MicronutrientInitiative (MI) and, most importantly, the industries themselves.With vitamin A fortification of cooking oil underway in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali and regional norms being developed,the momentum for vitamin and mineral fortification of food continues to build. HKI is harnessing this momentumto expand the fight against VMD in the region to build a wheat flour fortification strategy. The Michael&Susan Dell Foundationhas committed another $1.6 million to support this effort, which will complement funding from GAIN and USAID.Cooking oil and wheat flour are excellent vehicles for fortification with vitamin A (cooking oil) and iron and folic acid(wheat flour). They are both centrally processed in most countries in the region, providing an entry point for the fortificationto take place. Cooking oil has been proven to be the easiest food vehicle to fortify with vitamin A, and numerousstudies in West Africa have shown a high level of market penetration. Wheat flour is a good vehicle because it is widelyconsumed on a daily basis in many forms, and fortification has minimal or no perceptible effect on taste and texture.www.hki.orgUNICEFRevised UNICEF Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapesUNICEF has revised the old MUAC tapes which had a red cut-off at 12.5cm due mainly to the demand created for numberedbands that can be used at community level for identifying children with SAM - i.e. red cut-off at 11.0cm. As there isno internationally agreed standard MUAC cut-off for moderate acute malnutrition which tends to be country specific andreflective of resources available, it was decided that UNICEF supply division would provide two tapes giving options for12.5cm or 12.0cm cut-offs - so that UNICEF country offices can decide on the most appropriate for their context. RevisedMUAC tapes can be ordered from UNICEF country offices. If large quantities is requested, it would be better tocontact UNICEF procurement services directly with a request and the form required will be sent. Tapes available are:• Standard MUAC tapes, cut-offs at 11.0cm (red) and 12.5cm (yellow), line at 21.0cm (for pregnant&lactating women).Available for dispatch from UNICEF Supply Division warehouse (code: S0145600). Cost - $6.93 for pack of 50.• Customized MUAC tapes, cut-offs at 11.0cm (red) and 12.0cm (yellow), line at 21.0cm (for pregnant&lactatingwomen). Available as a special order from UNICEF Supply Division. Code U350000—specification "customized MUAC- Ethiopia type". Cost - depends on ordered quantity.Contact: Alan McNulty, amcnulty@unicef.orgA Food-Based Approach Introducing Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes IncreasedHarvestPlusVitamin A Intake and Serum Retinol Concentrations in Young Children in MozambiqueA team of researchers led by Jan W. Low (formerly with Michigan State University) has found that Orange-FleshedSweet Potatoes (OFSP) can increase vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentrations in young children in Mozambique.In Mozambique, the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among children ages 6 months to 5 years is estimated atover 70 percent. OFSP is a strong candidate for a food-based approach to combat this, as many varieties are very richin beta-carotene, the precursor for vitamin A in plant foods. It is also well accepted by young children, a good source ofenergy, easy to cultivate, propagated vegetatively and fairly drought resistant once established.The effectiveness of introducing OFSP was assessed in a two-year integrated agriculture and nutrition inter-vention in741 households in Mozambique. The study was quasi-experimental, prospective, controlled, and longitudinal. The interventionwas undertaken in three drought-prone districts (two intervention, one control) in Zambézia Province. The areasselected have high levels of young-child malnutrition, a monotonous diet with cassava as the primary staple, and a verypoor resource base.SCN NEWS # 35 back to contents