Today, nearly one in three people in the world suffers from at least one form of malnutrition: wasting, stunted growth, vitamin and mineral deficiency, overweight or obesity, and food-borne noncommunicable diseases. It is estimated that 720 to 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, 118 million more than in 2019. The situation is particularly alarming in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 282 million people undernourished. Compared to 2019, around 46 million more people were affected by hunger in Africa in 2020. Also, in 2019, around 3 billion people lacked access to healthy food, including 1 billion in Africa. Micronutrient deficiencies or “hidden hunger”, in particular deficiencies of vitamins A, iodine, iron and zinc, constitute a public health problem and a major obstacle to the socio-economic development of the individual, the community and society, are widespread and affect all age groups and socio-economic groups.

Fortunately, the devastating consequences of micronutrient deficiencies are preventable. Food fortification is widely recognized as a preventive, effective, proven and cost-effective public health strategy for ensuring optimal nutrition, by reducing health costs in the long term. Food fortification is a strategic choice to fight against malnutrition in Africa due to several favorable factors.

Malnutrition is a complex, multifactorial and multisectoral problem that requires a systemic change of both food and health systems as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), supply and protection systems.

The objective of the consultation is to promote aims discussions and the sharing of experiences and good practices among the different countries and stakeholders involved in food fortification at the global, regional, and national levels to accelerate the fight against malnutrition under all its forms in Africa.

Specific objectives are:

– Present and discuss the different models of food fortification at global, regional, and national levels by identifying the success factors, challenges, and opportunities, particularly through the analysis of strategies, policies, regulatory frameworks, existing institutional structures, and resources.

– Promote knowledge, good practices and lessons learned on food fortification.

– Formulate concrete actions to technical partners as well as highly strategic key actions to political and financial decision-makers in order to trigger a robust multi-stakeholder engagement and strengthen synergy of relevant actors and efforts for effective action.

–   Propose recommendations on the next steps in food fortification (micronutrient deficiencies) in Africa by identifying the main steps, key players, and enabling factors as well as the main challenges.

The virtual dialogue will bring together food systems’ experts and key players working in the field of nutrition in Africa. These include representatives of governments, regional and sub-regional organizations, the African Parliamentarians’ Network, development partners, control and regulatory agencies, the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations.

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