GAIN launches global iodization program and premix fund at Clinton Global Initiative

New York, 29 September 2007 (GAIN) – The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition today announced the start of a global iodization program and a global premix fund to improve public health in developing countries at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

“These two initiatives will promote and enable the large-scale addition of essential vitamins and minerals to commonly-used foods in developing countries that will lead to the cost-effective improvement of individual health,” said Mr. Marc Van Ameringen, Executive Director of GAIN at the launch event.

“The amazing fact is that these small nutrients have huge impacts: reducing vitamin and mineral deficiencies through food fortification pays back considerable returns in improved public health, reduced poverty and increased economic development,” said Mr. Jay Naidoo, Chairman of the Board for GAIN and for the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Increasing salt iodization
The global iodization program, jointly undertaken with UNICEF, aims to increase the percentage of households in the world who use iodized salt from 70% up to 85% by increasing salt iodization in 13 priority countries.

While salt iodization is standard practice in many parts of the world, it is not yet implemented everywhere. Yet, salt iodization is a simple and safe method to resolve serious public health problems in developing countries: deficiencies of iodine lead to growth disorders and diseases, such as goiter, and limit intellectual capacity by 10 to 15 IQ points on average.

“We are proud to work with UNICEF on this US$ 40 million program that will protect an additional 790 million people and especially 20 million infants from iodine deficiency over the next 5 years,“ said Van Ameringen.

Promoting food fortification
Adding vitamins and minerals to foods are a cost-effective solution to the malnutrition that currently afflicts an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. However, in developing countries the initial investment to acquire the vitamins and minerals is prohibitive to many producers and governments.

The GAIN Global Premix Fund provides loans and grants to enable companies to buy quality and cheaper premix. It enables them to add specific vitamins and minerals to their foods that can supply national food fortification programs and disaster relief operations.

“By reducing the up-front investment costs, this Fund will remove a major hurdle for governments and the private sector to use food fortification as a cost-effective tool to improve public health on a large scale,” said Jay Naidoo.

Economic costs and benefits
Food fortification, including salt iodization, has demonstrated itself as a safe and cheap method with high returns on investment. The benefits include the improvement in people’s health, the reduction in the costs of public health care, the reduction of poverty, and the stimulation of economic growth. The following statistics demonstrate the benefits:

• The benefits of food fortification programs, depending on the vitamins or minerals included, outweigh the costs by 9 to 1 for iodine supplementation for specific women groups, and can in the case of iron fortification be as high as 176 to 1.
• A decrease of 1% in malnutrition rate achieves a 4% decrease in poverty.
• The costs of health care for developing countries to deal with malnutrition-related diseases is estimated to cost 3.5% of their GDP, on average.
• The World Bank and the Copenhagen Consensus list the reduction of vitamin and mineral deficiencies as one of the best investments that have the highest benefits in terms of human wellbeing and economic growth.

More information
Mr. Elroy Bos - ebos@gaingeneva.org - +41.22.749 1850
www.gainhealth.org
http://www.gainhealth.org/