UNICEF Representative to China attending the Launch of China Food Fortification Communication 2007
Speech by the UNICEF Representative to China Dr. Yin Yin Nwe at the Launch of Food Fortification Communication 2007 18 April 2007 Professor Yu Xiadong, PNDC On behalf of UNICEF, I am delighted to join the Public Nutrition and Development Centre (PNDC), the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, GAIN, ADB and PATH and all organizations represented here, to support the Chinese Publicity Year on Food Fortification in 2007. UNICEF's previous Executive Director launched the Global Report on vitamin and mineral deficiencies here in Beijing in 2004. The report indicated that in the developing world, anaemia affects about 500 million women of child bearing age and more than half the children are deficient in iron during the critical stages of brain development between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. Addressing vitamin and mineral deficiencies is also important because it affects not only children's development, but also a nation's work force and productivity. Anaemia in children leads to impaired cognitive development, which we estimate as corresponding to a drop in IQ by 7-8 points, a change associated with a 4% loss of future earnings power. We've estimated that iron deficiency in adults lowers the productivity of the workforce by up to two per cent of GDP in the worst-affected countries. Through iodized salt, the world has already reduced iodine deficiency by 70%, protecting over 19 million children from irreversible brain damage. We have to learn from it. Yet the technology for long term control of these deficiencies is available and affordable. I am therefore very pleased that China's 11th Five Year Food Industry Improvement Plan mentions food fortification as one of the strategies. To establish national programmes, all key players need to understand the benefits of food fortification and also need to be sure that the fortified food is safe, even if a person consumes several kinds of fortified food each day. In the industrialized countries, people eat fortified breakfast cereals, fortified milk, bread and other products made from fortified flour, fortified fruit juices, and so on, without any problems. There are clear guidelines from WHO and FAO that countries are using to set country-specific standards. 49 countries already have mandatory iron fortification of flour while 38 require folic acid fortification of flour. The technology for adding other essential vitamins and minerals to other staple foods exists, but to implement this technology requires understanding and cooperation among the different players from civil society, the private and public sectors. Hence this communication launch is an important milestone. We look forward to sharing international experiences in this regard. We also look forward to further progress towards action on fortification of commonly used food items in China. Xie Xie (Thank you)！
|
