Zinc fortification reduces the prevalence of zinc deficiency and may improve associated health outcomes. Which actions should governments and supporting partners take to address zinc deficiency through fortification?
A July 2021 analysis conducted by IZiNCG identified 35 countries where zinc deficiency is a national public health issue. Honduras, Burkina Faso and Senegal are among these countries, but their existing large-scale food fortification programs do not include zinc. Adding zinc to these existing mandatory fortification programs would be a relatively low-cost, high-impact intervention to reduce their national prevalence of zinc deficiency.
These country briefs provide the rationale for zinc fortification, describe where the selected countries stand with regards to zinc deficiency and food fortification, and outline key actions government and supporting partners can take to address zinc deficiency through zinc fortification.