Miller Magazine Issue: 136 April 2021

77 MILLER / aprıl 2021 COVER STORY According to the World Health Organization, nearly 30% of women, 38% of pregnant women and 15% of adolescent girls around the world are anaemic. Iron-de- ficiency anaemia decreases energy levels, causing fatigue and diminishing physical capacity, concentration, and quality of life. This affects school performance, work pro- ductivity and perpetuates cycles of poverty and malnutri- tion. Fortifying staples like flour with iron can ensure that almost the entire population – even women and girls in vulnerable situations – can access this critical micronutri- ent. Pregnant women are at higher risk for folate insuffi- ciency throughout their childbearing years, which means their babies may be born with neural tube defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly. Folic acid deficiency can lead to mental confusion and depression, diarrhoea, or mega- loblastic anaemia. Fortification with folic acid improves the folate status of women, greatly reducing the risk of giving birth to ba- bies with neural tube defects, should they become preg- nant. Given that some 40% of pregnancies globally are unintended and that most women start supplementation late, good pre-conception nutrition through fortification is crucial for both mother and baby. Nutrition International works with governments, in- dustry stakeholders and partners across Africa and Asia to increase policy coherence, scale up fortification, and improve program monitoring. In Indonesia, for example,