SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Recommendations

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Delivering vitamins and minerals to large populations involves commitment, coordination, planning and cooperation – all held together by strong and durable partnerships. Key partners in micronutrient interventions include national governments, non¬governmental organizations, donors, aid agencies, foundations, industry, community leaders, and the agricultural sector.

The following provides a number of priority actions for each intervention that should be undertaken by national governments, industry and international organizations.

Vitamin A

Scale up the delivery of integrated package of health services, including twice yearly vitamin A supplementation for children aged between 6 months and five years, to achieve at least 80% coverage on a recurrent basis.
Target the hard-to-reach through complementary strategies, such as special outreach programmes, to reach the final 20% who have not been reached through regular programmes.
Improve programme sustainability by mobilizing resources in national budgets to cover costs pertaining to vitamin A supply and local distribution.
Establish dedicated delivery strategies, monitoring of programmes, and tracking of progress.

Salt Iodization

Enact mandatory legislation and ensure adequate resources are made available to enforce it.
Build financial sustainability to transition from a donor-supported to a market-supported supply of iodate.
Undertake strategic advocacy and communication efforts through media, health systems, and schools.
Strengthen population-monitoring systems so that programme adjustments can be made as habits and diets change over time.
Create incentives for processors to iodize their salt.

Food Fortification

Set and monitor national standards for food fortification and ensure standards are enforceable, so that all producers have equal financial obligations.
Identify and train fortification champions from both the public and the private sectors to build on success to date and help rapidly expand fortification efforts.
Launch communication and public education initiatives to create a market demand for products and support for government investment.

Multiple Micronutrient Supplements for Children

Scale up availability of multiple micronutrient supplements for in-home use, such as Sprinkles, in non-malaria endemic regions.
Direct research efforts to find safe and cost-effective ways to improve iron intake by young children in malarial areas.

Supplements for Women of Child-bearing Age

Expand and scale-up iron and folic acid supplementation for all women of child-bearing age.
Bring increased focus on improving adherence rates, through community outreach, counselling, and related efforts.
Explore the feasibility of providing women with multiple vitamin and mineral supplements.

Zinc Supplementation for Diarrhoea Management

Incorporate zinc supplementation into national diarrhoea management policy.
Ensure zinc supply.
Identify public and private delivery strategies.
Create demand through social marketing campaigns.
Provide adequate financing for start-up.