Identifying potential programs and platforms to deliver multiple micronutrient interventions

This article reviews the potential of four broad types of platforms, health, agriculture, market-based, and social protection programs, to deliver multiple micronutrient (MMN) interventions (supplementation, fortification, and dietary modification). We assessed the platforms' potential based on seven performance criteria related to programs within these platforms: 1) targeting, 2) efficacy of interventions, 3) quality of implementation, 4) utilization, 5) impact, 6) coverage, and 7) sustainability. We highlight one type of program per platform to illustrate strengths and weaknesses for delivering MMN interventions, identify critical knowledge gaps, and highlight what is needed to increase effectiveness for delivering MMN interventions. We found that all four platforms have the potential to effectively deliver MMN interventions if the following key program elements are addressed: 1) strong behavior change communication strategies to increase demand and proper utilization of services/products; 2) supply side interventions to ensure consistent availability of high quality interventions, products, and well-trained staff; 3) rigorous evaluations of effectiveness, quality of delivery, and impact pathways to generate best practices for replication and scale-up; and 4) timely dissemination of evaluation results to ensure use by program implementers and policy makers. The diversification of delivery platforms, which simultaneously addresses multiple determinants of MMN deficiencies and expands coverage, is needed to accelerate progress in reducing MMN deficiencies.