From 2003 to 2011, the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) worked with partners on a regional effort to coordinate the implementation of food fortification programmes among countries within the region. The main goal was to fast-track the implementation of food fortification in the ECSA region through adequate policy and legislation; technology and research; promotion and advocacy; and monitoring and surveillance.
In 2017, the ECSA-HC commissioned an assessment of consumption monitoring and surveillance systems and frameworks covering the 13 countries in the ECSA Region. The objective of the assessment was to determine the status of consumption monitoring and assessment of indicators of impact that may result from the programmes that ensure the availability of fortified food in the ECSA region.
This report presents the results of that assessment and proposes a Consumption Monitoring and Surveillance Framework consisting of the various processes, phases, components, and domains that provide an enabling environment for this to happen. In summary, effective consumption monitoring, surveillance and impact evaluation requires supportive legislative frameworks and policies, enhanced public private sector partnerships, capacity building for stakeholders in food fortification, resource mobilisation, and development of information platforms on food fortification.