Fortify Health Partners with Andhra Pradesh Public Distribution System

Fortify Health is acting as the technical partner to the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, the nodal agency for distributing grains for the Andhra Pradesh (AP) Public Distribution System. Fortify Health is helping to support the distribution of high-quality fortified chakki atta (wheat flour) to approximately fifty lakh (5 million) beneficiaries at risk of anaemia in Andhra Pradesh through this project. 

This is the first formal partnership between Fortify Health and a state government in India. It is a significant step forward in Fortify Health’s work to reduce and prevent iron-deficiency anaemia. 

Context
In India, state governments distribute staple food products, including chakki atta, through social safety net programmes (SSNPs). It is estimated that over half the population of India are covered under the largest SSNP known as the Public Distribution System (PDS). One of Fortify Health’s key aims is to assist state governments who administer SSNPs to distribute food products that have been fortified with vital micronutrients. Fortify Health works with SSNPs for three reasons:

1. Targeting: The people who receive food through SSNPs are typically at higher risk of anaemia; 
2. Breadth of Impact: SSNPs generally have a very large footprint, reaching millions of people; and
3. Limited Behaviour Change Required: SSNPs have already established supply chains that distribute food products effectively. Fortifying these food products therefore requires little to no behaviour change on the part of beneficiaries.

Andhra Pradesh Partnership
The AP government announced plans to distribute fortified chakki atta through its Public Distribution System in mid-2023. Fortify Health came on board in October 2023 as the technical support partner for the project. 

Fortify Health has been able to bring its 6+ years of experience in high-quality monitoring of fortification processes for chakki atta to the project. We have been helping the AP government to ensure that the chakki atta that it distributes to lakhs of people complies with regulatory standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The scale of the project is large; by December 2023, the AP government distributed more than 15,000 metric tonnes of fortified chakki atta to beneficiaries. 

Looking forward
Over the coming year, we hope to continue supporting the government of Andhra Pradesh to supply fortified chakki atta through its Public Distribution System. Our partnerships team will also be liaising with other state governments across target states to identify new opportunities to support fortification in SSNPs.

To learn more about our partnerships work, please visit our website at Our Partnerships Work - Fortify Health.