The project supports the Government’s overall vision of Zero Malnutrition and is a key strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiencies within that vision.
"This shows that the government recognizes the importance of chronic malnutrition for social and economic development in Bolivia. We know that well nourished children have higher cognitive function, they learn better, and they grow up to be more productive adults, thereby strengthening the country’s social and economic potential, " said Meera Shekar Senior Nutrition Specialist at the World Bank, at the launch of the program in La Paz.
Bolivia received grant funds in the amount of US$2.64 million from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), for which the World Bank serves as a trustee and an implementing partner in Bolivia. The GAIN grant will be part of a wider national program, worth approximately US$13.12 million where producers and consumers also contribute to overall costs.
"We congratulate the National Council for Food and Nutrition (CONAN) and its public and private sector partners on the development of this project which – through the fortification of wheat flour, vegetable oil and milk - will bring significant health benefits particularly to the country’s women and children," said Marc Van Ameringen, Executive Director of GAIN.
In Bolivia, based on the results from the recent baseline survey, iron deficiency anemia affects a shockingly high 80-90 percent of children 6-23 months of age, and very high percentage of women of reproductive age, greatly increasing risks of death and complications during childbirth, and reducing children’s learning capacity, energy levels and worker productivity. At least eleven percent of young children in Bolivia also suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which compromises immune systems and opens the door to disease. In addition, every year about 400 children are born with folate deficiency, causing birth defects to the brain and spinal cord known as neural tube birth defects, or ‘spina bifida’.
Project support will help enable 90 percent of wheat flour designated for domestic consumption to be fortified with iron, folic acid and other B complex vitamins, 90 percent of domestically consumed vegetable oil to be fortified with vitamin A, and 70 percent of the milk products designated for domestic consumption to be fortified with iron, zinc, vitamin A and other micronutrients. This is expected to reduce iron anaemia rates, vitamin A deficiency, and neural tube defects.
The new grant supports a three-year project developed by the National Council for Food and Nutrition (CONAN), comprising public sector, food production companies, research institutions and civil society groups. The public-private partnership project will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Sports.
The National Food Fortification Program (NFFP) aims to assure the optimal fortification of all wheat flour, vegetable oil and milk products designated for consumption by the Bolivian population within a five year period.
The GAIN grant will contribute to the purchase of premix equipment, food control and regulatory systems, communication and marketing campaigns, impact studies and administration costs.
Fortification of flour with iron and other micronutrients has been successful in countries such as Venezuela, the USA, UK, Canada, Sweden, and Chile. Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines are currently fortifying vegetable oil with Vitamin A.
The project will support Bolivia in efforts to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals of reduced poverty, improved maternal health and reduced child mortality. GAIN aims to save lives and improve health, productivity and cognitive function by reducing nutritional deficiencies of populations at risk everywhere, primarily through the use of food fortification to alleviate vitamin and mineral deficiencies. GAIN has a key alliance-building function, bringing together public and private partners around common objectives, and also provides grants and technical expertise.
A distinctive and essential feature of GAIN’s approach is its work with the private sector, applying new, innovative business models to make markets work sustainably for the benefit of those suffering from malnutrition. GAIN places a critical emphasis on performance management to ensure that the programs it delivers are making a measurable impact on target populations. GAIN was established in 2002 and currently receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
At present, GAIN is supporting the work of National Fortification Alliances in seventeen countries. GAIN has set itself the target of reaching 1 billion people, with the longer term target to reach the estimated 2 billion people across the globe suffering from nutritional deficiencies. The World Bank serves as the GAIN’s trust agent and has assumed the management and supervision of five food fortification projects that are financed by the Bank's GAIN TF Program.
