MICRONUTRIENT SPRINKLES TO CONTROL CHILDHOOD ANAEMIA

In developing countries, it is estimated that more than 40 to 50% of children less than 5 years of age are iron deficiency primarily due to a diet inadequate in bio-available iron. This condition can be deleterious to their mental, social, emotional and physical development with long term consequences on economic productivity and national development.

Since 1999, a very successful partnership has been established between the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana and the SPRINKLES Global Health Initiative in Toronto, Canada. The main aim of these collaborations is to develop Sprinkles as complementary food supplement for use in reducing the burden of anaemia among young children in developing countries. This aim has been achieved through a number of community-based research studies conducted in the Kintampo District and in developing countries

‘Sprinkles’ are a Complementary Food Supplement (CFS) designed to improve adherence, acceptability and ease of use over conventional iron supplements such as iron drops and syrup. Sprinkles (CFS) contains micronutrients in powder form that are packaged in single-dose sachets. The micronutrients in Sprinkles include microencapsulated ferrous fumarate, zinc, vitamins A, and C, and folic acid, which are easily sprinkled onto any semi-solid foods prepared in the household, at any mealtime during the day.

The sprinkles sachets are easy to use and convenient since one does not have to be literate to learn how to use them and no special measuring or handling of the dose is required (see following picture).

Contact: Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante