Forging Effective Strategies to Combat Iron Deficiency Panel Discussion: Regional Action Priorities

Action priorities for reducing iron deficiency vary across regions. Some regions have limited experience with national programs, such as in the republics of Central Asia, where the focus since independence has been on assessment, advocacy and scaling up of interventions. In more developed regions the priorities are improving established programs and addressing the needs of the remaining subpopulations with high rates of iron deficiency. The etiology of anemia, whether multi-factorial as in Sub-Saharan Africa or mostly due to iron deficiency as in the Middle East and North Africa, is an important factor shaping the choice of strategies. Some interventions are particularly feasible in some settings and are being promoted aggressively, such as flour fortification in Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa, or the fortification of condiments in Asia. The quality of the health infrastructure and resources in general also determine the mix and scale of interventions implemented. A lesson for all regions is that countries in North America and Europe, where diets are varied and abundant and infections nearly absent, generally support multiple strategies that include nutrition education, supplementation and fortification of a variety of staples consumed by toddlers and the general population. Monitoring and evaluation efforts have proven necessary for improving quality and for advocacy. J. Nutr. 132: 871S–874S, 2002.