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IFPRI ForumFour out of ten pre-school children in developing countries suffer from anemia, a condition that often condemns them to a life of poor health, impaired development, and even premature death. A recent IFPRI-Cornell University study provides compelling evidence that developing countries can combat anemia with an iron-based powder sprinkled on food.
The nutritional supplement known as Sprinkles—a blend of micronutrients—has proven highly effective in reducing anemia, a serious health condition often brought about by iron deficiency. Developed by Stanley Zlotkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto and founder of the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative, the supplement reduced anemia among poor children in rural Haiti by more than half in two months.
The research, published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, is the first to show that Sprinkles are effective in reducing anemia when included in a food-aid program targeted to women and young children and implemented under challenging, real-life conditions in a developing country. Children in the study were enrolled in a food-aid program that included cereals fortified with iron and other micronutrients. After Sprinkles were added to their food for two months, anemia rates dropped from 54 to 24 percent, whereas they remained unchanged for children who did not receive the Sprinkles. Seven months after supplementation ended, anemia rates had decreased to 14 percent among children who received the Sprinkles.
"Sprinkles are an effective and practical tool in reducing anemia among children," said Marie Ruel, director of IFPRI’s Food Consumption and Nutrition Division and coauthor of the study. "When combined with other food-aid initiatives, the potential impact is huge."
The study also found that fortified food aid (at current fortification levels) is insufficient to prevent anemia in infants and young children, even if mothers are advised to complement the donated commodities with locally available, iron-rich foods. The high cost of some iron-rich foods, such as meat, could partly explain this outcome.
The results of this study in Haiti have global implications. Indeed, Sprinkles have been effective in reducing micronutrient deficiencies in other developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Ghana, and Indonesia. Collaborators on the study include World Vision-Haiti, the Micronutrient Initiative, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project, managed by the Academy for Educational Development.
For more information, including an audio commentary by Marie Ruel, visit www.ifpri.org/media/20070723sprinkles.asp.