American People Support Micronutrient Powder Campaign for Improved Children’s Health

On Wednesday, February 19, the American People through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Tuboreshe Chakula, project will launch a three-week Virutubishi micronutrient powder campaign in eight districts in three regions of mainland Tanzania and on the islands of Zanzibar to help combat childhood malnutrition.

Tanzania’s children suffer from various forms of malnutrition. Over half the children in Tanzania are anemic; one third suffers from Vitamin A deficiency; and 42% of Tanzanian children experience stunted growth. Anemia reduces energy in children, so school and work performance lag. Vitamin A deficiency often leads to irreversible blindness and increases susceptibility to disease. Children’s rates of stunted growth are especially high in the campaign’s target regions of Dodoma, Manyara, Morogoro, and Zanzibar. Stunted growth limits physical and mental development.

Many of these children do not lack food, but instead lack foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals, resulting in “hidden hunger” or njaa iliyofichika. The Government of Tanzania, in partnership with USAID, is promoting solutions to this problem, including ways to fortify locally available staple foods, edible oils, and cooked foods for young children.

The campaign, called “Afya bora ya mwanao ni jukumu lako” or “The Health of Your Child is Your Responsibility,” will educate mothers, caregivers, health workers, local government officials, and the public on the importance of adding Virutubishi micronutrient powder to foods given to children aged six months to five years.

Virutubishi is a blend of 10 types of vitamins and five minerals—including Vitamin A, folic acid, iodine, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals are recommended by the World Health Organization and UNICEF and have been adopted by Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Virutubishi works as a supplement to—not a substitute for—breastfeeding and a balanced diet, and has been shown to reduce anemia, improve appetite, boost immunity against diseases, and enhance physical and mental growth.

Virutubishi is sold at kiosks and by village health workers in Dodoma, Manyara, Morogoro, and Zanzibar regions. Priced at 100 TZS per sachet, caregivers are urged to give each child one packet in one meal every other day, for maximum health benefit. USAID’s Tuboreshe Chakula project works closely with village health workers and health facilities to explain this vital supplement for children’s health.

The campaign will include special event days that feature demonstrations on how to add Virutubishi to porridge and other foods. Samples will be given to children and sachets will be sold. Kiosks will also sell blended flour and fortified maize flour and explain how these work with Virutubishi for children while improving everyone’s health.

Virutubishi is aligned with Tanzania’s National Food Fortification Programme, launched in May 2013 by President Kikwete, which involves large-scale fortification of common staple foods to address micronutrient deficiencies. USAID’s Tuboreshe Chakula project works with small and medium-scale mills to fortify maize flour and sunflower oil and at the household level to fortify locally available, cooked food with Virutubishi. The project is part of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative.