Anaemia burden — iron alone is no solution

India's anaemia burden is well-documented. The fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) revealed that more than half of women and around two-thirds of young children suffer from anaemia. In this scenario, double-fortified salt (DFS) fortified with iodine and iron is frequently suggested as a groundbreaking solution. Nevertheless, the DFS proposal is premised on convenience - as everyone consumes salt, why not enrich it with iron?

Yet convenience does not equate to effectiveness, and a policy that encourages the nation to keep consuming salt for iron delivery merits a closer examination. Fortifying salt with iron may seem like a convenient vehicle for public health intervention, but it runs counter to existing recommendations. Indians reportedly consume approximately double the recommended five grams of salt per day as per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Furthermore, about one-third of adults in India are afflicted with hypertension, and the country's own non-communicable disease (NCD) action plan aims for a 30% reduction in salt intake relative to its current levels.