Uganda Wheat Flour and Vegetable Oil Fortification Project

Project Overview

In December 2007 GAIN awarded the Government of Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and other national partners, US$ 2.39 million to fortify wheat flour and vegetable oil. Wheat flour is fortified with Iron, vitamin A, zinc, folic acid (B9), thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6) and cobalamin (B12) and vegetable oil with vitamin A. Funding goes to a consumer education campaign around the benefits of fortification, the initial purchase of vitamin and mineral premix, strengthening quality assurance and fortification equipment and training. GAIN is also supporting the UN World Food Programme to provide fortified maize flour to internally displaced persons. 

Goal

The goal of the project is to increase the supply of high-quality, affordable fortified products and increase consumer awareness of these products.

Impact

When at full scale, it aims to reach 43 percent of the population with fortified wheat and 73 percent of the population with fortified vegetable oil.

Achievements

Key achievements include enabling three out of four planned oil refineries to produce fortified oil which is consumed domestically and exported. As of March 2010, an estimated 13.6 million people (or 44 percent of the population) had access to fortified vegetable oil.

Duration

The project is expected to be concluded in July 2011.