Stories
10 stories that shaped our work in global nutrition this year
December 19, 2025
AD_BREAD
WP_Term Object
(
[term_id] => 48
[name] => News
[slug] => all-news
[term_group] => 0
[term_taxonomy_id] => 48
[taxonomy] => news-category
[description] => Stay up to date on our announcements, newest projects and partnerships, and news about how we’re making a difference in the lives of people around the world.
[parent] => 0
[count] => 284
[filter] => raw
)
Story
Nutrition International, the Food Fortification Initiative and partners launch new evidence to strengthen food fortification for anaemia reduction
New collection of global evidence demonstrates the potential of large-scale food fortification to reduce anaemia at scale and improve health outcomes, while underscoring the need for context-specific design, sustained investment and strong partnerships.
Posted on August 26, 2026
Ottawa, CANADA — Nutrition International, in partnership with the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) and Emory University, has launched a series of publications examining the role of large-scale food fortification (LSFF) in reducing anaemia. Published as a supplement in Maternal Child & Nutrition, the collection brings together global evidence, country insights and practical guidance to support governments in designing and delivering more effective fortification programs.
“Anaemia remains a complex and persistent challenge and at a time when public health resources are under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever to invest in solutions that deliver impact at scale.
— Mandana Arabi, Vice President Research and Development and Chief Technical Advisor, Nutrition International
LSFF — the addition of essential vitamins and minerals such as iron and folate to widely consumed staple foods such as flour, salt, rice and oil — is a proven, scalable approach to reducing micronutrient deficiencies across populations. Yet, anaemia remains a persistent global health challenge, affecting an estimated 30% of women aged 15-49 years and 40% of children under five years. Progress toward global targets has stalled, highlighting the urgent need for effective, evidence-based, needs-based interventions. In response, the World Health Organization and its member states have renewed calls to accelerate anaemia reduction efforts, including effective food fortification.
While LSFF is widely implemented, evidence linking fortification programs to measurable reductions in anaemia has remained limited. This new body of evidence helps address that gap by synthesizing global findings and modelling impact across multiple contexts.
“Global good practice on how to effectively design, implement and sustain needs-based fortification programming has historically been fragmented, inconsistent, and often outdated,” said Laura Rowe, Senior Global Portfolio Director, Large-Scale Food Fortification, Nutrition International. “By systematically assessing existing guidance and enhancing it with a current understanding of persistent pain points coupled with the need to pivot in response to new evidence and current data-driven need, a robust, practical, and “living” resource has been designed to optimize fortification reach and impact.”
“By synthesizing global evidence…the supplement provides policymakers and program managers with actional guidance to design, implement and sustain fortification programs that can meaningfully reduce anaemia.
— Dr. Helena Pachón, Research Director for the Food Foritifcation Initiative and Research Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University
The research also presents a more nuanced understanding of anaemia etiology. While iron deficiency has historically been considered the primary driver, emerging evidence shows that its contribution varies widely by context. Other micronutrient deficiencies, including vitamins A, B9 (folate), and B12, also play an important role. This growing complexity reinforces the need for more tailored, evidence-informed approaches, particularly at a time when funding for public health is increasingly constrained and governments must prioritize cost-effective, scalable interventions that deliver measurable health and economic returns.
“By synthesizing global evidence, modelling potential impacts and documenting real-world implementation experiences, the supplement provides policymakers and program managers with actionable guidance to design, implement and sustain fortification programs that can meaningfully reduce anaemia and its long-term health and economic consequences,” said Dr Helena Pachón, Research Director for the Food Fortification Initiative and Research Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at Emory University.
Nutrition International’s Research and Development unit played a central role in convening leading experts and institutions, acting as a bridge between research, policy and implementation. Through collaboration with FFI, Emory University and other partners, the initiative demonstrates how centres of excellence, through sustained collaboration between leading research and technical institutions, can generate actionable insights that inform national and global decision making.
Together, the findings show that food fortification can play a significant role in reducing anaemia when programs are well-designed, context-specific and supported by sustained government commitment. As countries work to accelerate progress toward global nutrition targets, this evidence offers timely guidance to strengthen and scale programs that improve health outcomes for women and children and contribute to broader social and economic development.
About the supplement:
The link to the complete supplement can be found following this link:
Share
Related News