FORTIMAS Approach for Tracking Population Coverage and Impact

FORTIMAS (fortification monitoring and surveillance) is an approach for tracking the population coverage and impact of a flour fortification program. Users will assess trends in a limited number of program coverage and micronutrient status indicators in easy-to-reach target populations.

A key benefit of FORTIMAS is that it can be used with data already collected for other purposes, such as Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and other large-scale surveys. These are usually conducted at 5 to 10 year intervals. The FORTIMAS system will help countries identify trends in the interim period, such as whether maximum household coverage is reached and sustained in a given geographic area, and whether the health status of those who regularly consume fortified flour is improving.

Another example is that information on the number of newborns with neural tube defects (NTDs) is regularly gathered by large birthing hospitals in capital cities. The number of NTDs can be compared year after year in these hospitals to identify success or potential problems with the flour fortification program.

FORTIMAS was developed by Smarter Futures, a partnership for grain fortification in Africa. When FORTIMAS was developed, the partnership included AkzoNobel, FFI, Helen Keller International (HKI), the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IF), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

FORTIMAS is available in English, Français, and Português.

For more information, contact info@ffinetwork.org or visit www.smarterfutures.net/fortimas