Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) is at the fore front in  fighting all forms of malnutrition including anaemia. Anaemia is one of the leading nutrition problems in Tanzania and is cased by variety of factors including inadequate intake of iron foods. It is known to affect pregnant women and young children. The 2004/2005 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) reported the national prevalence of anaemia in underfives to be 71.8 percent. For pregnant women it was reported to be 48.4 percent.

TFNC being government institution, is responsible for developing nutritional guidelines, offering technical advice,

carrying out nutrition research and empowering communities and various stakeholders through training with the aim of enabling them achieve better management of nutrition interventions including anaemia prevention and control. The ultimate goal is to reduce the problem to the level where it is no longer of public health concern.
 

TFNCs contribution in the fight against Anaemia in Tanzania
Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) is spearheading fight against malnutrition of all forms including anaemia. Anaemia is one of the leading malnutrition problems in Tanzania and is caused by variety of factors, inadequate intake of iron being one of them. Anaemia is known to affect pregnant women most, followed by children.

Prevalence of anaemia in Tanzania
According to the 2004/2005 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) report, the national prevalence of anaemia in underfives is 71.8 percent. For women it is 48.4 percent. Data collected in specified locations in the country in different years back show a wide range of prevalence of anaemia, follows climatic patterns and is influenced by seasons. For instance prevalence as high as 95 percent and as low as 26 has been reported (in Liwale and Mgeta respectively).

Efforts made to reduce anaemia in Tanzania
TFNC has been taking the lead for many years up to now in guiding the interventions to reduce anaemia in the coutry. The guidance include giving out nutritional guidelines, offering technical advice, carrying out nutritional research and empowering communities and various stakeholders through training with aim of better management of nutritional interventions. The ultimate goal has always been to reduce the problem to the level where it is no longer a public health concern.

Currently some services are viewed as key for supporting anaemia prevention and control efforts. These services are here described in brief. Foremost, TFNC has given out guidelines famous by the title “MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCY CONTROL: Policy guidelines on Supplementation. This gives among others, guidance on who should be supplemented with iron and folate and at what regimen.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, all pregnant women visiting health facilities are supplemented with haematics and given nutritional advice relating to improvement of dietary intake of iron through balanced and adequate diet. TFNC has done substantial training of health service providers to enable them handle this task of advising their clients.

In order to control worm infestations which is one of the important factor behind high prevalence of anaemia in the country, all children under the age of five are provided with deworming drugs twice a year (6 months interval) and every year since 2003. This is implemented in combination with vitamin A supplementation.

Empowerment of Non Governmental Organizations, Civil Societies, Community Based Organizations and communities at large through periodic training and distribution of nutrition education materials emphasizing dietary change (dietary diversification) and increased accessibility to micronutrient rich foods is a routine and major service offered by Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre on day to day basis.

There are other useful measures being undertaken though not viewed by many as major activities or strategies (they are minor in the sense of scale and not importance). Inclusion of iron in the ongoing Multiple Micronutrient fortification endeavors is one of them. This activity is still being piloted in some districts with aim of reducing micronutrient malnutrition and preventing low birth weight. Promotion of Insecticides Treated Nets (ITNs) and support to vulnerable groups (mostly pregnant women) to acquire them through voucher system is another measure undertaken.

Future Plans
TFNC is now in the final preparations for conduction of survey to assess prevalence of anaemia in various population groups at zone and district level and its determinant factors (iron deficiency, malaria and worms) to facilitate focused and targeted interventions. Moreover, in future more emphasis will be put on diversifying interventions - to employ wider control measures and integration of anaemia control component in as many ongoing national programs as possible. For instance the Multiple Micronutrient Fortification, Environmental Sanitation and ITNs.