Beyond Survival....Childhood Development

The combined effect of iron and iodine deficiencies on child development is now well documented. Where iodine deficiency is prevalent, the average mental acuity of children can be reduced by up to 10 to 15 percentage points. Iron deficiency in early childhood afflicts 40-60 percent of children in developing regions. It causes significant and irreversible disruption to their cognitive development, diminishes their school performance and hinders their physical development. This is why MI invests in programs aimed at reducing anemia among children and in supporting universal salt iodization.

MI supports innovative approaches to controlling anemia in young children

MI 's work in iron deficiency control aims to provide children with the best possible start in life, towards achieving their full mental and physical potential. Young children under the age of two years are the most difficult to reach and protect, particularly from iron deficiency. At the same time, children of this age are most in need for iron-rich diets that would enable them to reach their full developmental potential. This is why MI supports programs that reach out to this particularly vulnerable age group.

To reach young children who are most at risk of iron deficiency, we focus on supporting the development of innovative and effective supplementation products and programs. Consumer-level fortificants for supplementary infant foods have proven to be among the most promising products.

Bringing consumer-level fortification from research into action

While the use of fortified complementary foods as a means to control anemia in children has yet to reach a critical mass, consumer-level fortification of home-made complementary foods is now poised to move from the feasibility testing stage towards larger-scale, national level implementation. Potential reductions in production costs of fortificants offer new scope for us to take this approach forward in selected countries where conditions are right, such as in Haiti , Bolivia and Pakistan .