Combatting iron deficiency

The project will only finance activities to be carried out by ICCNA; other activities funded under 9310227 are excluded. ICCNA"s major activity will be to provide TA to LDC organizations and scientists involved in combating nutritional anemia. The low availability and short-term nature of previous funding to ICCNA has made retention of top quality staff difficult; this grant provides for a long-term funding relationship which will allow ICCNA to serve as A.I.D."s lead technical backstopping agency for iron deficiency activities. ICCNA will provide TA to government agencies, donor organizations, nutrition scientists, and health professionals. Its activities will include the design of pilot studies, monitoring of ongoing studies, assistance in data analysis, provision of standards for iron status measurements, provision of immunologic reagents, and hematologic evaluation. Although much of the TA will be provided by correspondence, field activities are planned for Egypt, Jamaica, and one or two other countries. Short-term travel will be funded as necessary (including travel of LDC professionals to ICCNA). Training - a major activity under project 9310227 - will be curtailed, but technical training in iron status methods for periods of up to 3 months will be provided when required for LDC participation in field activities. ICCNA will continue its efforts to develop novel strategies to combat iron deficiency. In most instances, this will involve measurements of iron bioavailability in human subjects. Funding will not be available under this project for extensive bioavailability measurements, but these will be performed to the extent that additional support can be obtained. (It is hoped that Mission buy-ins will provide additional resources to the project; funding from other donors and industry for complementary activities is also expected.) Emphasis will also be put on determining the optimal composition of weaning foods and the appropriate iron fortification compound. Amendment of 7/24/87 increases funding and expands the project to include activities by the International Nutritional Anemia Consultative Group (INACG), currently funded under project 9310227, which is due to expire in FY88. This action will permit a proposed new Secretariat composed of INACG, the International Vitamin A Consultative Group, and SUSTAIN to have a 5-year life, and will also accelerate both the close-out of 9310227 and the start-up of the present project. (PD-AAZ-335)