SCN Annex. International Nutrition Foundation and the United Nations University. May 2002. IDPAS# 1164         PDF only

     The ACC/SCN's 29th session met in March 2002 in Berlin, Germany where multiple Working Group reports were presented. The Working Group on Micronutrients summary report was given by the International Nutrition Foundation on activities related to iron, folic acid, zinc and touched on other micronutrients such as vitamin B12. The IDPAS project, acting as an informal secretariat, prepared the summary report by surveying partners around the world and compiling information on issues related to iron, folate, and zinc.

     At the end of the last decade when the final report on the goals of the World Summit for Children was sent to the UN Secretary General, iron deficiency anemia was the one goal not reported upon. Thanks to the work of the SCN and its members, there is now a new decade target for anemia that focuses on the lifecycle and includes young children. In order to achieve the new decade target, there is a need for increased commitment to the lifecycle approach and to the integrated, multiple-intervention model that is strongly endorsed by the SCN. It includes dietary diversification, food fortification, supplementation, infection control and linkages with other public health measures guided by monitoring and research and bolstered by well-planned communication support.

     Some of the main themes emerging from the increased dialogue on iron deficiency were identified as: the need for iron-related meetings and workshops to be more productive, and the rapid dissemination of their reports; growth and expansion of community efforts to effectively supplement various groups with iron and other micronutrients; diversification in supplementation and fortification interventions; improved advocacy and support for zinc and folic acid; improvements in fortification formula; improvement in methods and technologies for assessment, monitoring and evaluation; support for advocacy, program planning, communication support and increased accessibility to technical information; increasing focus on the linkage between prevention and control of iron deficiency anemia and other public health issues.

     Some immediate challenges noted by those surveyed included: maintaining the growing commitment to anaemia control; translating the new decade target into effective, sustainable anemia control; avoiding one-dimensional strategies, and building stronger alliances with the private sector and NGOs; sharing and using existing and new guidelines and up-to-date technical information; better two-way communication to and from developing country researchers and project personnel; avoiding reinventing the wheel; maintaining conceptual commitment and technical operational linkage to an integrated model for prevention and control of anemia including iron