Modalities
- Deliver WIFAS directly to adolescent girls (10–19) through schools to ensure consistent access.
- Encourage women 20–49 years of age to continue to be part of the program and take the supplements as WIFAS has also been shown to be effective for this age group.
- Consider different delivery platforms and partnerships for programs for delivering WIFAS to women of reproductive age (20–49 years), such as community health outreach and social welfare programs. This could also be needed for out–of–school girls who are among the most vulnerable.
- Consider adding the WHO–recommended WIFAS dose (60 mg iron and 2.8 mg folic acid) to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines which may lead to more availability and affordability of the supplement for WIFAS programs.
Conditions and considerations
Ensure the maximum number of girls is present at school on WIFAS day. Follow–up with classroom, peer–based or alternative delivery strategies when a student is absent on supplementation day.
Break down barriers to attending school as there is a clear link between school attendance and program adherence.
Strategies to increase adherence for girls who are at school can include individual cards held by the participants to encourage adherence and reminder of the benefits of the using WIFAS regularly.
Being prepared to support girls in the early weeks of supplementation, as this is when side effects are most likely to occur. Availability of clean water and a snack can reduce side effects.
Monitor registers at the class or school level, where a teacher enters information each week, to track programme coverage, identify and reduce dropouts and develop strategies to increase adherence.