Food as Medicine - TIP Global Health

Food as Medicine

The Challenge

In low- and middle-income countries, around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. In East Africa alone, 7 million children are experiencing stunted growth due to malnutrition. Nutrition is an essential component of adequate primary care. Yet, health centers have long struggled with stock outs of fortified porridge, and commercial products are often too expensive for rural families to access.

Our Solution

TIP Global Health recognizes that
food is medicine for families living in poverty.

Aheza Fortified Food is a social enterprise that provides uninterrupted supplies of fortified porridge to hospitals, nongovernmental organizations, and community members who then provide the porridge to beneficiaries for free or at low cost. Profits from Aheza sales subsidize the cost of free distribution of porridge to high-risk children. A single serving of Aheza provides nearly 100% of the daily recommended quantities of micronutrients for children under 5 — preventing chronic malnutrition, strengthening the immune system, and improving cognitive development. Learn more about Aheza Fortified Food.

Strengthening local supply chains

Aheza Fortified Food, Ltd.

Innovative local food products (RUTF)

Our Impact

7 Million

Since 2015, TIP’s program has provided more than 7 million servings of porridge to more than 100,000 Rwandans.

58%

decrease in severe stunting

17%

decrease in total stunting

95%

of recipients are at high-risk for malnutrition

8,000

smallholder farmers supported every year through the purchase of locally procured grains

Over 600,000

The problems we face in health care today are not just in Rwanda. They are everywhere. Our goal is to improve the nutrition status of 600,000 children throughout East Africa by 2023.

Aheza Fortified Food is a registered social enterprise, capable of scaling on its own.

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& improving lives.

TIP Global Health believes that every person deserves a healthy future. That’s why we are committed to ending malnutrition, so children have the opportunity to lead long, healthy lives. But we can’t do this important work without your support.

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