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Fortify Health

Introduction


Founded in 2017, Fortify Health is a non-profit organisation committed to combating anaemia, which affects over 52% of pregnant women and 67% of young children.* They do this by enabling the fortification of wheat flour (chakki atta) with essential micronutrients like iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12, an approach that is recognised to be a highly evidence-based, cost-effective, and scalable solution to iron-deficiency anaemia. 


Fortify Health set up their initial programmes in Maharashtra and West Bengal.  Currently, they have a team of 60 people and are working in more than ten states across India. They have also partnered with a range of organisations, including the Andhra Pradesh Public Distribution System, Feeding India, and the Food Fortification Initiative.

Key result


370K: Metric tonnes of fortified atta produced by their mill partners each month (average across April–July 2024). Real-time figures can be found on their dashboard here.


107: Partnership agreements signed with mills across India (by the end of July 2024).


5,310,000: Beneficiaries reached each month (estimated in July 2024) across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Telangana.


Impact


Cost to support fortified chakki atta for an individual: Less than INR 50 ($0.60)


INR 5000 : Support fortified chakki atta for 100 individuals 

INR 10,000 : Support fortified chakki atta for 200 individuals 

INR 25,000 : Support fortified chakki atta for 500 individuals 

What does Fortify Health do?


Fortify Health collaborates with millers and state governments across India to fortify chakki atta with iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12, adhering to the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Their work is organised into three key areas:


  1. Open Market Support: They assist millers in fortifying the chakki atta produced for the open market, providing essential equipment, premix, and training to facilitate effective fortification.


  2. Partnership Support: Fortify Health partners with governments, quasi-government entities, and non-governmental organisations in India to integrate wheat flour fortification into social safety-net programs. Their support typically includes monitoring and technical assistance to ensure successful implementation.


  3. Evidence Generation: They conduct thorough monitoring and evaluation to generate evidence on the benefits of food fortification, helping to inform and educate the public.

Why we partner with Fortify Health?


  • One of our evaluators, GiveWell, has funded Fortify Health three times.

  • They have demonstrated cost-effectiveness in reducing iron deficiency anaemia.

  • They have implemented comprehensive processes ensuring effective fortification and distribution.

  • The organisation has demonstrated transparency in operations and impact measurement.

  • They have indicated that they have room for funding. 


Additionally, they have worked alongside government partners and forged strategic alliances with various other credible stakeholders, including Feeding India by Zomato, IIT Delhi, Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), and the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). These partnerships demonstrate the high trust that collaborators have in their work. 



Footnote:

* These figures are taken from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). It is important to acknowledge certain inconsistencies in the data regarding the prevalence of anemia. Another key study looked at was the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS). A key challenge lies in the fact that CNNS and NFHS-5 do not report data for the same age groups, making direct comparisons difficult. However, for overlapping age groups, the prevalence rates reported by CNNS and NFHS-5 differ significantly.


For example 

  • The CNNS indicates that anaemia prevalence was:

    • 41% among preschoolers (1-4 years of age); and

    • 40% among female adolescents (10-19 years);


  • The NFHS indicates that anaemia prevalence was:

    • 67.1% among children aged 6-59 months (i.e. overlapping with the CNNS's preschoolers category); and

    • 59.1% among female adolescents aged 15-19 years (i.e. overlapping with the CNNS's female adolescents' category).


Regardless of the exact figures, this remains a critical issue that demands urgent attention and support.


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