Rwanda has formulated a social protective plan for the delivery of free food to identified vulnerable households.
The measures meant to mitigate the impact of a lockdown implemented by the government of Rwanda, aimed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to support Government initiative, able citizens in Kigali voluntarily put together money and other essential items such as food to families that need help during this period. Items received include rice, maize flour, beans, etc.
Food fortification is one measure to prevent malnutrition. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has its mandate to regulate medical products, processed foods, household products and tobacco and tobacco products to ensure their quality and safety so as to protect the population of Rwanda from defective, falsified and substandard products. The new regulatory guidelines from FDA give priority of fortification of maize flour, wheat flour, cooking oil, salt and sugar. Under Voice for Change Partnership programme_V4CP funded by SNV and implemented by DUHAMIC-ADRI, ADECOR, RDO, IMBARAGA, SUN ALLIANCE and CARITAS RWANDA; advocacy on increase of fortified food is one of its key components.
One can ask her or himself why not use fortified products as a way of tackling food insecurity and malnutrition issues that people are exposed to? For instance, high iron beans (HIB) and fortified maize flour can be prioritised during lockdown. Iron helps to preserve many vital functions in the body, including general energy and focus, gastrointestinal processes, the immune system, and the regulation of body temperature. Other micronutrients used during fortification are also important to complement and or supplement insufficient but available food in this period
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