Tony Senanayake
More than two thirds of young children and over half of pregnant women in India suffer from anemia caused by lack of iron. Micronutrient fortification is relatively cheap, but while rice fortification in India is now commonplace, fortified wheat flour is too rare.
The Idea
Hassle-free Fortification of Wheat Flour
Organization
Organization
Fortify Health
Mission
Reduce iron-deficiency anemia (IDA).
How it Works
Fortify Health gets mills to fortify their wheat flour with essential micronutrients. They identify the right mills in the right geographies, provide capital for equipment and premix, train operators, and establish quality testing systems.
The Dream
The Indian government mandates, regulates, and pays for the fortification of wheat flour that is distributed through Social Safety Net Programs.
Why We Picked Tony
Mulago has long bought into micronutrient fortification as a solution. Fortify Health is laser focused on the unique needs of solving this problem for the huge swath of anemia-afflicted, wheat-eating populations in India. Tony is an exceptional leader, who has brought his data-driven background to this massive public health problem. He started his career in law and management consulting before shifting gears toward development economics—first through an MBA at Yale, then hands-on work in countries like Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and India. Before joining Fortify Health, Tony led projects at IDinsight focused on turning rigorous research into better policy. Fortify Health has nailed the process for fortifying wheat flour, and we're excited to see them turn their focus towards the policy changes that will get millers to do it at scale.
