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Dr Parirenyatwa

THERE is no doubt that for Zimbabwe to prosper economically, it needs healthy people, especially a workforce that does not unnecessarily compromise work by seeking off days during critical productive hours.

This therefore, makes it imperative that Zimbabweans are provided with a healthy diet, an issue that brings a huge challenge to all players in the food processing business and regulators at Government level.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care set July 1 this year as the commencement date of mandatory food fortification of selected food vehicles such as vegetable oils, sugar, wheat, flour and commercially milled maize meal. Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, argues the prevalence of micro-nutrient deficiencies was extremely high and unacceptable especially among vulnerable groups including women of child bearing age and children.

Saddening indeed.
But when managing such critical national matters, there is a greater need to consult all key stakeholders to avoid receiving brickbats from other parties contesting the rationale of your decision.

Reports on our front page story yesterday that the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) filed an application at the High Court seeking to block Government from implementing mandatory food fortification is an example of challenges faced when policies are implemented unilaterally without exhaustive consultations. Millers want sections 4 (i) (b) and (e), 5 (b) and (e) and 7 of the Food Fortification Regulations 2016 made in terms of the Food and Food Standards Act (Chapter 15:0 4) set aside.

Millers argue the requirements are unreasonable and as a consequence, invalid. Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa in the matter is cited as respondent in his official capacity. The millers are arguing that the food fortification regulations were grossly unreasonable and defy logic. The politics behind the court action at this juncture as far as the millers and the Ministry of Health and Child Care is not critical as far as we are concerned.

Surely disease prevention as opposed to curing and in particular the adverse results of growth retardation in children, low birth weight, reduced cognitive development, the increased risk of under-five mortality and reduced economic productivity emanating from failure to prevent micro-nutrient deficiency cannot be ignored.

Government argues that 72 percent of children aged 9-59 months are iron deficient, while 32 percent are anaemic, 26 percent of women of child-bearing age (15-49 years) are anaemic too and 62 percent are iron deficient, which results in poor birth outcomes and vast economic losses. Surely these are fundamental issues that may compromise efforts to build a healthy nation. But it becomes worrisome if policies that involve huge budgetary implications for other players are implemented without adequate consultations.

We expect the ministry and the millers to engage each other thoroughly, clearing all areas of potential conflict especially things to do with foreign currency mobilisation to reconfigure equipment to be able to execute the required fortification. There is also a greater need to identify reputable and safe sources of the fortificants to protect the country from harmful products and this cannot be done overnight.

The millers argue that $14,8 million is required to buy machinery and a further $7,25 million to purchase fortificants every month and given the scarcity of foreign currency in Zimbabwe, all those issues needed to be looked into before the July deadline was put in place. These millers and other food processors will be competing with other key national industries for the same foreign currency.

But Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa argues the ministry and development partners conducted nationwide sensitisation programmes on the programme up to district and ward levels. But the fact that the millers have decided to seek recourse at the courts might be an indication that there were no adequate consultations.

The millers and other food processors, we want to believe are not monsters that want to see Zimbabweans malnourished and we implore all the stakeholders to go back to the drawing board and thrash out all the sticky issues. We are not experts in the food fortification business, but exploring the matter in phases might be one of the many solutions. Those foodstuffs naturally rich in nutrients should be considered last.

We, therefore, encourage dialogue among parties and consumers will suffer if the confrontational route is pursued. We still believe consultations should be given a chance. Remember, people’s health first and profits later.