1.4M

cases of anaemia prevented

17K

neonatal deaths averted

2.6K

infant deaths averted

The need

Prevalence of anaemia in Ethiopia

Children: 56% of children aged six to 59 months and 40% of children aged 48 to 59 months are anaemic

Women: Approximately 23% of women aged 15 to 49 are anaemic

Pregnant women: From 2011 to 2016, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women increased from 22% to 29%

Our Solution

Wheat flour fortification, nutrition interventions and nutrition education

Folate/Folic Acid

Folate/Folic Acid

Iron

Iron

Wheat flour fortification

Provide technical assistance to:

  • Support appropriate standards formulation, mandatory legislation and enforcement
  • Build capacity of flour mills

Adolescent nutrition

  • Provide weekly iron-folic acid supplements and counselling to in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls
  • Deliver nutrition education to boys and girls in school

Maternal and newborn health and nutrition

Support a Maternal Newborn Health and Nutrition care package to increase:

  • Antenatal care quality and attendance
  • Provision and consumption of iron-folic acid supplements in pregnancy
  • Newborn and postnatal care

Infant and young child nutrition

  • Increase the quality, reach and coverage of the infant and young child nutrition package of interventions delivered through the health system’s health extension program

Most recent reported results (2018)

  • 3,600 metric tonnes of wheat flour were adequately fortified and reached an additional 28,500 women
  • 85,000 additional adolescent girls consumed the full scheme of weekly iron and folic acid supplements
  • 234,000 in- and out-of-school adolescent girls consumed at least one supplement
  • 600,000 adolescents (385,231 girls and 212,111 boys) reached with gender-sensitive nutrition education
  • 173,000 additional pregnant women consumed at least 90 iron-folic acid supplements
  • 400,000 additional newborns were reached through birth package interventions
  • 52,000 additional infants under five months of age were exclusively breastfed
  • 3,000 additional children aged six to 23 months received a minimum acceptable diet

The Impact

Prevention of anaemia and neural tube defects

Right Start Ethiopia improved the nutritional status of pregnant women, leading to safer pregnancies and healthier newborns. It also delivered nutrition education to adolescent girls and boys, helping them take charge of their own health, and supported flour millers to ensure the population is reached with critical micronutrients.

1.4M

cases of anaemia prevented

17K

neonatal deaths averted

2.6K

infant deaths averted