Africa: Regional Highlights - Mozambique

Photo: Dominic Chavez/The Global Financing Facility

In 2019, FFI assisted Mozambique in testing an online data collection and aggregation tool for fortification monitoring called FortifyMIS.

The Government of Mozambique requires millers to fortify all wheat and maize flour according to set standards. Yet the program lacks consistent regulatory monitoring, opening the possibility for millers to fortify incorrectly, inadequately, or not at all.

Despite mandatory fortification, Mozambique’s high rates of anemia and birth defects indicate a pressing need for better monitoring and enforcement: 66% of children and 44% of women are anemic, and at least 1,500 children are born each year with birth defects of the brain or spine.

Technology Stops Hunger in its Tracks

FortifyMIS provides decision makers with timely information to improve a national fortification program and, consequently, a country’s health and economy.

Developed by Project Healthy Children (PHC) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), FortifyMIS is used on computers, tablets, and handheld mobile devices. It allows users to automatically track fortified food quality and safety data through customizable digital forms, real-time dashboards, and tailored data-reporting methods. 

The management information system for FortifyMIS provides an improved, simplified means for food producers and government inspectors to monitor the quality of fortified products. As a result, the platform reduces the time and cost of monitoring and improves overall program performance by quickly tracking the quality of foods and identifying where improvements are needed. By using FortifyMIS, Mozambique can better capture critical data needed to improve data-driven program outcomes. 

Training for Progress

Between August and October 2019, we trained food producers, consumer advocacy groups, lab staff, and regulatory inspectors on FortifyMIS. The group of 20 received classroom lessons and hands-on experience with the MIS at markets, large-scale milling operations, and border points. We also led trainings for a team of government staff and individuals from GAIN-Mozambique to ensure consistent on-the-ground support will be available for users of the MIS.

In the coming year, we will assist Mozambique by teaching a core team of industry inspectors, food producers, and consumer advocates to train others on use of FortifyMIS, first in the Maputo Province and then scaled to all provinces in the country. By strengthening the overall fortification monitoring framework, Mozambique will ensure millions get the right quantity and quality of nutrients they need.