On March 10, 2022, Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, Director Public Health, representing the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in Uganda, officially kicked off the USAID Advancing Nutrition Activity on behalf of Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Government of Uganda at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala.

In his remarks, he commended USAID for the continued support in the fight against micronutrient deficiencies, especially through food fortification as one of the key program interventions in the third National Development Plan. The MoH envisions USAID Advancing Nutrition engaging more with National Working Group on Food Fortification (NWGFF) stakeholders and emphasizing the need to create awareness as a driver for consumer demand and compliance among industries. Dr. Kyabayinze also expressed government commitment to support the interventions to achieve the project’s objectives. 

The meeting was an opportunity for USAID Advancing Nutrition to share its strategies with the stakeholders through the NWGFF, which coordinates food fortification efforts, and to collectively introduce its activities to all stakeholders for collaborative implementation, capacity building and strengthening systems for food fortification geared at reducing micronutrient deficiencies.