Costs of the multimicronutrient supplementation program in Chiclayo, Peru

Background. There is little information on the cost parameters of weekly multimicronutrient supplementation programs. Objective. To assess the cost parameters and cost-effectiveness of a weekly multimicronutrient supplementation program in an urban population of Peru. Methods. Data from the Integrated Food Security Program (Programa Integrado de Seguridad Alimentaria [PISA]), which distributed capsules and foodlets to women and adolescent girls and to children under five, were extrapolated to a population of 100,000 inhabitants. Results. The annual cost per community member was US$1.51. The cost-effectiveness ratio was US$0.12 per 1 of prevented anemia per community member. Conclusions. These costs are in the upper margin of iron supplementation alone. They will decrease notably when weekly multimicronutrient supplementation programs are integrated into health packages and participation by women increases. Focusing on micronutrient deficiencies would prevent these problems, and food-distribution programs would be effectively targeted to food-deficient populations.