Siyi Hao

Project Healthy Children - Nurturing the next generation in Africa

Project Healthy Children (PHC) runs micronutrients fortification programs, through which micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, iodine, zinc and folic acid are added to staple food such as wheat and maize flour, sugar, and oil. It is one of our 'opportunities for leverage' recommended charities. This post takes a look at PHC as they work towards establishing West African standards in fortification.

While the problem of malnutrition in underdeveloped countries may be severe, micronutrients fortification has high and immediate payback. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies (VMD) productivity, and put burdens on health-care systems. It is estimated by the Micronutrient Initiative and the UN that these deficiencies cause a loss of 2% of GDP in affected countries. On the other hand, the cost for a fortification program is below 30 cents per person per year.

PHC conducts operations in sub-Saharan countries such as Rwanda and Malawi, placing advisors in recipient governments to offer encouragement, coordination and technical support. PHC's support in national fortification programs includes measuring the nutrients consumed by the population, helping the government implement industrial food fortification, and helping the country building up monitoring systems. Below the national level, PHC also offers support for smaller scale fortification programs to people who do not have access to centrally processed food.

We recommend PHC because their work influencing government policy may be very cost-efficient. It is conceivable that 140 DALYs from anemia can be averted for each $1,000 spent, which would lead to a higher impact than AMF and SCI. Moreover, their work in food fortification fills a gap largely neglected by other organisations.

Most recently, according to Laura Rowe, the Chief Operating Officer at PHC, the organisation has advised the National Fortification Alliance of Liberia on adopting a set of Liberia-specific fortification standards based on a PHC review of consumption, coverage and trade data. If these mandatory fortification standards are successfully set, it will be a significant milestone, as Liberia is heavily import-dependent, and they could be replicated in many other countries.

Micronutrient deficiency is gaining greater publicity and attracting greater governmental attention. In Rwanda the government held fortification training programs in April and May this year. A national fortification program was also launched in Tanzania in mid-June. PHC has been heavily involved in this trend and, with your support, will continue to push for fortification. As with most of our recommended charities, donations to PHC will help fund programs that tackle developmental issues at the most basic and fundamental level - improving the health of children to provide a far more prosperous future for underdeveloped nations.

Don't be shy, donate to SCI!

Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) attempts to tackle some of the most socioeconomically devastating diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Through their work in countries such as Burundi and Ethiopia, SCI fights to stem epidemics of schistosomiasis and intestinal worms, both parasitic diseases spread by contaminated water. SCI is one of Giving What We Can’s high-confidence recommendations, as well as being among GiveWell’s top recommendations. In this post we take a look at SCI as they make inroads into new operational areas.

Although they have low mortality rates, schistosomiasis and intestinal worms impair the growth and cognitive development of millions, particularly children. The knock-on effects from this are obviously huge, and tackling these parasitic diseases poses one of the greatest challenges in addressing sub-Saharan Africa’s developmental problems.

SCI conducts mass deworming programs, treating large cohorts of people with deworming drugs at a cost of around $0.79 per treatment. SCI works on getting grants, identifying recipients and offering support to stricken regions.

Predominantly, because of its strong track record and high cost-efficiency. SCI has completed many national deworming programs. Indeed, with SCI’s support, serious schistosomiasis morbidity was eliminated in Uganda through 2003 to 2010. Furthermore, SCI’s treatments only cost 50 pence per person per year, and according to WHO, treating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) is a ‘best buy’ in public health. At the end of April, SCI reached a milestone by offering the 100 millionth treatment for bilharzia.

SCI will now be contributing to funding the launch of the National Master Plan on Neglected Tropical Disease in Ethiopia, and has agreed to provide funds for operations in both Tigray and Zege regions in Ethiopia. SCI will also be injecting money into expanding their operations in Mozambique, Senegal, and Uganda through to October 2013. Furthermore, as of 2013, SCI is expanding its operations into Mauritania and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Historically, in the face of a lack of publicity and funding, SCI has worked to treat NTDs and has generated substantial results. You now have an opportunity to contribute to an organisation expanding its operations within established target zones, and into new areas of sub-Saharan Africa. A donation to SCI therefore represents a donation to an organisation which has a huge amount of ambition, and is backed by a strong track-record in treating NTDs. Furthermore, the implications of SCI’s work for sub-Saharan development mean that the effects of 

Siyi Hao

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Project Healthy Children - Nurturing the next generation in Africa

Don't be shy, donate to SCI!