The National Alliance for Food Fortification (NAFF) and stakeholders have intensified their advocacy to strengthen support towards advancing the food fortification agenda in The Gambia.
The initiative was held at the recent 16th quarterly National Alliance for Food Fortification meeting, held at the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) conference hall in Bakau.
The NAFF quarterly meeting serves as a decision-making platform to discuss challenges and agree on clear actions, assign responsibilities, and follow up on decisions taken during previous meetings.
Thus, this 16th quarterly meeting discussed joint monitoring of food fortification results, millers' compliance findings, and a report on the stakeholders' visit to importers.
The meeting further presented stakeholders an important opportunity to assess their progress, examine existing challenges, share experiences, and identify practical solutions to strengthen the implementation of food fortification initiatives.
Alhagie Malang N. Fofana, NaNA Director General, revealed that the NAFF committee's role is critical in its drive to improve coordination among stakeholders that have a common vision to address public good in the area of nutrition, health, well-being, the economy, and the lives of the people it serves.
Abdoul Aziz Ceesay, NaNA Deputy Director General, who also doubles as the NAFF Coordinator, described the NAFF as a significant platform that addresses food security and nutrition in the country.
Ceesay said that food fortification is not just a single responsibility to be carried out by the government, but outlined the Public Private Sector as a critical aspect of it, whom he said are the people that implement the policies on food fortification.
"Whatever we think can enhance and improve food fortification should be the total objectives of the NAFF," he said.
As a government, he observed, they will see how best they can facilitate to improve on their productivity and production as well as the quality of the products that they have.
Ebrima Jallow, chairperson of the NAFF Committee, described food fortification as an important public health intervention that contributes significantly to addressing micronutrient deficiencies and improving the nutritional well-being of the population.
He reminded that as stakeholders they have a shared responsibility to ensure that fortified food products are accessible, safe, of good quality, and compliant with established national standards.
He thus called for stronger collaboration to achieve their objectives among government institutions, food manufacturers, regulatory bodies, development partners, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
Jallow further called for compliance and enforcement in ensuring that food manufacturers adhere to the required fortification standards; quality assurance and monitoring: strengthening regular monitoring, testing, and verification to maintain the quality of fortified food products; as well as stakeholder collaboration: by promoting stronger partnerships, information sharing, and collective responsibility among all members of the Alliance.
