#FFI20: Pontsho Sepoloane
Senior Technical Advisor of Nutrition for the Southern African Development Community
FFI: How did you become interested in nutrition?
Sepoloane: My interest in nutrition was honestly by default, I knew all along that I was interested in contributing meaningfully to the well-being of humankind. My undergrad was based in dietetics, and I realized that I can actually contribute to human well-being or health through nutrition.
FFI: What inspired you to become involved with food fortification?
Sepoloane: Our interests at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are to facilitate harmonization of guidelines and regulations in nutrition and in other sections. One of SADC’s interests is looking at improving agricultural value-chains and improving food and nutrition security in the region. We know from research and experience that food fortification is one of the most cost-effective methods to combat malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. It is one of our 2030 visions to make sure we scale up large-scale food fortification in the region.
FFI: How is your organization prioritizing fortification?
Sepoloane: We engaged with Member States through the support of the European Union and other partners to generate the regional standards for food fortification. The intentions of those standards were twofold: mainly to address micronutrient deficiencies, but also to promote trade of fortified commodities in the region. Beyond developing the standards, we developed a roadmap to domestically implement these regional standards in Member States. We are now seeing more Members States have interest in developing new regulations, standards, and strategies for food fortification, supported by our partners including FFI and United Nations (UN) organizations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN World Food Programme, and UNICEF.
FFI: What health outcomes do you expect fortification to improve in your region?
Sepoloane: The primary health outcome that we expect is a reduction in micronutrient deficiencies; most of our concerns have been on iron deficiency, anemia, [and folate deficiency] among women of reproductive age. We have seen data, in South Africa and globally, indicating food fortification reduces the chance of having a baby born with a neural tube defect.
FFI: In your experience, what are the main components to a successful fortification program?
Sepoloane: Data is important to build a case and showcase the impact that food fortification has towards these health impacts. In order to have a sustainable and successful food fortification program, you need to be able to measure its impact and generate continuous data. Beyond data, we need to have an enabling environment that is supported by regulatory framework, and this framework needs enforcement. If we have legislation and we don’t have enforcement mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness [of the program], it can be a futile exercise.
FFI: What are the greatest challenges you have encountered in planning or implementing fortification programs? And how did you address those challenges?
Sepoloane: There is a challenge in finding recent data. As I said, we need evidence to convince people [about the benefits of food fortification]. If there is a lack of recent data, it can be challenging. That being said, some of the initiatives we’ve had use existing data and augment it with food consumption survey data. This helps show the consumption patterns, where the gaps are, and how food fortification efforts can reach those gaps.
FFI: What can we do as a society to continue strengthening fortification efforts?
Sepoloane: Society is made up of various stakeholders, and at the core of food fortification is the [general population]. The population sees food as food they eat, so we have a responsibility from a public health and nutrition perspective to educate the public. It is important to package information in a way that the consumers can understand and appreciate how food fortification can positively impact health outcomes.
FFI: If you were not working in nutrition, what do you think you would be doing?
Sepoloane: I would still do something that contributes to the wellbeing of individuals and the population at large. Ultimately I think I would still be involved in nutrition but in a different way, I am currently interested in the complementary nature of agriculture and health outcomes.
FFI: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Sepoloane: I am grateful to be in a position where I’ve had the opportunity to work with different stakeholders, partners, and governments in our pursuit to address micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of malnutrition in the region. I am hopeful that through the support of organizations like FFI, we will be able to render a society that is free of micronutrient deficiencies.
This interview is part of the #FFI20 Champions campaign, a celebration of fortification heroes who have helped build a smarter, stronger, and healthier world by strengthening fortification programs over the past 20 years. To read interviews with other champions, visit the #FFI20 Champions campaign homepage.