The Government of Egypt revives its national flour fortification programme in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP) to prevent the spread of iron deficiency anaemia
The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade (MOSIT), the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and the National Nutrition Institute (NNI) launched the National Flour Defense Program today with the support of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The fortification program focuses on enriching subsidized wheat flour for baking “Baladi” bread, with micronutrients of essential iron and folic acid to help prevent iron deficiency anemia from spreading among Egyptians. Nutritional specifications for the fortification combination have been recognized by NNI, which evaluates the nutritional needs and high prevalence of anemia in the Egyptian population. The initial funding of the German government provided a sufficient amount of preprocessing for the first phase of the program.
WFP also supports the training of crushers for more than 600 millers nationwide. Through this collaboration, the Government and WFP are working together to provide enhanced subsidy bread for about 13 governors in Egypt through public bakeries.
“The program is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop a food subsidy system and to ensure its efficiency. Our role is not limited to subsidized bread. We also strive to improve its quality and maximize its nutritional value, thus helping to build a healthier, more productive society,” said Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade.
“The program is aligned with other national projects initiated by the Ministry, such as strengthening strategic inventory of basic commodities, upgrading silo infrastructure, and expanding the use of technology to increase the efficiency of the production and distribution process. We will continue to work with partners to implement best international practices in this field to achieve our goal of improving food security and improving the quality of life of all citizens.”
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, expressed his happiness by launching the National Flour Defense Program to strengthen local bread with iron and folic acid to prevent anemia. He expressed his gratitude to the institutions that started its launch, such as the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, the Milling Department in Egypt and the National Institute of Nutrition. He stressed that the program is an important step in preventing nutrition-related diseases and aims to reduce anemia, especially in children and women.
He explained that anemia is one of Egypt’s most prominent health problems, and the prevalence of anemia is high among men and women of certain ages, which affects individual productivity and national economy. He concluded that he appreciated the support of the United Nations World Food Program and noted that the project was part of the state’s continuous efforts to improve nutrition and public health.
“The launch of the National Flour Fortification Program marks a critical step towards nutrition and food security,” said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, representative of the Egyptian and national director of WFP. “Based on our collaboration since 2008, WFP proudly supports Egypt in turning its national food and nutrition strategies into action. This initiative, along with other efforts to reduce defect anemia, will improve nutrition, accelerate the development of the Sustainable Development Goals, and align with Egypt’s vision for 2030.”
“Anemia, especially iron deficiency, is one of Egypt’s most important malnutrition challenges, with iron deficiency in the diet being the main cause,” said Dr. Sahar Khairy, director of the National Institute of Nutrition. “The results of the 2021 Population Study, released by the Central Public Mobilization and Statistics Office, show that the rate of anemia is rising for all ages, reaching 43% in children under five years of age, while the prevalence of women with reproductive age is high. This condition must activate and expand interventions aimed at reducing and treating anemia, including the National Flour Fortification Program.
Distributed by Apo Group on behalf of the World Food Program (WFP).
