What we do

Fortify Health addresses the issue of iron deficiency anaemia, B12 deficiency and neural tube defects in Maharashtra and West Bengal, India. We aim to prevent and reduce these conditions by fortifying wheat flour with iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid.  Based on external evidence and internal research, we prioritise micronutrient deficiency as a significant public health issue that can be addressed cost-effectively: through fortification of staple foods.  

Our organisational strategy is driven by the values of effective altruism, with the aim of achieving the highest possible impact on public health through rigorous evidence, and cost-effective intervention. To date, Fortify Health has received three GiveWell Incubation Grants totalling $9.5 million to scale up fortification and provide ongoing technical support in our focus states; our operations extend to the open market and government safety net schemes in India.

How  we  started  up

Fortify Health’s founding team received initial funding from Charity Science, with the aim to set up an iron and folic acid fortification initiative that may eventually meet GiveWell’s rigorous standards for the most effective charities.

The first phase from mid 2017 to late 2018 involved setting up operational systems, reading literature on supplementation and fortification, developing a knowledge base, talking to fortification experts, pinpointing several potential approaches, and selecting a project location. In May 2018, we received our first GiveWell Incubation Grant to work on wheat flour fortification in Maharashtra and West Bengal, India.

The second phase during 2019 was about proof of concept: we hired and grew our first team, developed key partnerships, and began implementing our fortification programs in Maharashtra and West Bengal. 

At present, as of mid-2022, we are rapidly scaling our team and programs across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Hyderabad. We are currently partnered with 28 mills in the open market, and are working closely with government safety net schemes in Mahrashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Our growth

Mentorship

Throughout the startup process, we received strong mentorship from Joey Savoie, CEO and Co-founder of Charity Science: Health, an India-based organisation working on SMS vaccine reminders. He is currently CEO of Charity Entrepreneurship, where he supports the set-up of NGOs that will implement evidence-based, effective and cost-effective interventions. ​