Africa Regional Dialogue on Data for Action in Food Fortification
Photo: MOPIX Media and Communication
Strengthening Leadership and Aligning Action on Fortification Data
From October 28 to 30, 2025, country representatives, technical experts, and regional and global stakeholders convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the “Africa Regional Dialogue on Data for Action in Food Fortification.” The meeting brought together national health, nutrition, industry and trade ministries; regional bodies; food industry actors; and development partners to strengthen large-scale food fortification (LSFF) data systems and governance across Africa.
The meeting was co-organized by the Micronutrient Data Innovation Alliance (DInA), the Federal Ministry of Health and Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia, the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) on Food Fortification and Universal Salt Iodization co-chairs—the East, Central and Southern African Health Communities (ECSA HC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)—and RCM secretariat organizations. This three-day dialogue provided a platform to identify actionable solutions to improve the collection, access, and use of LSFF data. The meeting built on momentum from recent global and regional gatherings and focused on supporting data-informed decision-making, aligning national and regional coordination, and identifying priority actions to strengthen national and regional fortification data leadership and governance.
From Regional Dialogue to National Action: Country LSFF Data Workshops
DInA and the ESA RCM co-chairs supported a series of follow-on country workshops to carry the regional dialogue into national planning. Four of the 13 countries that took part in Addis Ababa were selected: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Selection was based on membership in the ESA RCM; an engaged government focal point; in-country technical partners able to support follow-through; and contrasting LSFF data landscapes. The workshops were co-designed with the country delegates who attended the regional dialogue and coordinated through the country’s national fortification alliance. Each workshop brought together a wider group of national stakeholders from government, industry, development partners, civil society, and academia, to review and agree on priority actions to strengthen their country’s LSFF data landscape.
Learn more about each country’s workshop:
