Heinz Micronutrient Campaign Expands to Africa for the First Time to Combat Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Children

The grant will enable researchers to study the efficacy of low-cost vitamin and mineral supplements for children ages 6-24 months in a region of the world with the highest prevalence of iron deficiency anemia.

8 Dec 2009 --- The Heinz Micronutrient Campaign (HMC), a groundbreaking program of the H.J. Heinz Company Foundation that is combating malnutrition in developing nations, announced a partnership in Tanzania, bringing the program to Africa for the first time.

The HMC has awarded a grant that establishes a research partnership with the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and Michigan State University.

The grant will enable researchers to study the efficacy of low-cost vitamin and mineral supplements for children ages 6-24 months in a region of the world with the highest prevalence of iron deficiency anemia. A second part of the grant will enable Sokoine to further develop a bean-based, vitamin-fortified powder targeted to children over two years of age. This powder, which contains plant and fish proteins, has demonstrated the potential to become a low-cost solution to chronic malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Both studies are to be carried out in the first quarter of 2010.

“The Heinz Micronutrient Campaign is expanding its mission to Africa for the first time because there is an urgent need to help millions of children who are suffering the effects of iron-deficiency anemia,” said Tammy Aupperle, director of the H.J. Heinz Company Foundation. “This partnership to distribute Heinz NurtureMate in Tanzania and fund the development of Sokoine University’s research into new products for the fight against malnutrition reflects Heinz’s strong commitment to enhancing the health and wellness of children around the world.”

The HMC has already helped nearly 3 million children in 15 developing nations, including India, China and Indonesia by providing micronutrient powders that are added to a child’s regular food in order to provide vitamins and minerals that their diets often lack.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Heinz Company Foundation and Michigan State University to bring life-enhancing vitamin and mineral powders to children in Tanzania,” said Dr. Theobald Mosha, lead researcher in the study at the Sokoine University of Agriculture. “We are hopeful that once we demonstrate the effectiveness of NurtureMate, we can attract new partners that will enable us to reach thousands more children.”

Tanzania, like most sub-Saharan countries in Africa, suffers from widespread iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). As many as 75% of children under the age of five years in Tanzania suffer from IDA, with the most severe cases among children aged 6 to 24 months, according to the Tanzania Demographic and Household Survey.

“The ability to reach children with nutrient-dense, low-cost food prepared from locally grown crops and fortified with vitamins and minerals is a sustainable approach to reversing the epidemic of malnutrition in Sub-Sahara Africa,” said Dr. Maurice Bennink of Michigan State University. “We are pleased to have the Heinz Company Foundation providing the resources and technical expertise to help develop these products and make them more widely available.”

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2 billion people are anemic due to iron deficiency worldwide, primarily infants and children in developing nations. Infants born in countries subsisting on plant foods with no national food fortification program are generally born with low stores of iron in their livers because of inadequate maternal supplies of iron during pregnancy. Often, the iron in an infant’s liver is depleted by six months of age. If infants are is not provided with an adequate source of absorbable iron in solid food or a supplement, they are likely to become anemic and unable to achieve full cognitive and physical development.