Current evidence suggests that food fortification is a cost-effective means of addressing iron deficiency at the population level, particularly in infants and young children

Iron deficiency is one of the most widespread nutritional disorders in both developing and industrialized countries, making it a global public health concern. Anemia, mainly due to iron deficiency, affects one third of the world’s population and is concentrated in women and children below 5 years of age. Iron deficiency anemia has a profound impact on human health and productivity, and the effects of iron deficiency are especially pronounced in the first 1,000 days of Published online: June 2, 2015 Patrick Detzel Nestlé Research Center Vers-chez-les-Blanc CH–1000 Lausanne 26 (Switzerland) E-Mail patrick.detzel @ rdls.nestle.com © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel 0250–6807/15/0666–0035$39.50/0 Key Messages • In the Philippines, a large percentage of the population suffers from one or more forms of malnutrition including micronutrient deficiencies. • Iron deficiency (manifested as iron deficiency anemia) is the most common form of malnutrition in the Filipino population, especially in children. • Ensuring adequate iron status will enhance individual health, with a positive impact on physical and cognitive productivity; this will increase the individual’s ability to contribute socially and economically. • The fortification of commonly consumed food items presents an opportunity to increase the nutrient intake of a population, thereby improving nutritional status. • Safety and compliance aspects indicate that fortification is superior to supplementation. • Impacts of iron deficiency are measured in health-care costs, productivity losses and disability-adjusted life years. • The estimated consequences of these deficiencies in childhood throughout the lifetime of the individual, using a health-economic model, are large and significant and vary substantially between socioeconomic strata. • The feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using fortified powdered milk to increase micronutrient intake amongst children were estimated based on a consumer survey of 1,800 Filipino households. • The most cost-effective interventions are those targeting the poorest 20% of the population, since the costs of intervention increase more rapidly relative to the additional disability-adjusted life year gains if the intervention is extended to the wealthier segments of