Call for proposals for a systematic review and development of GRADE profiles on edible oils and fat fortification with vitamin A and D

Purpose of the Agreement for Performance of Work (APW)

To support the Multisectoral Action in Food Systems Unit in preparing a rapid review of the evidence on edible oils and fat fortification with vitamin A and D and to develop the GRADE profiles for comparisons. 

Background

The Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) Department, located within the WHO’s UHC/Healthier Populations Division, is addressing the burden of disease from physical, chemical, and microbial hazards in food and unhealthy diets, maternal and child malnutrition, overweight and obesity. The Department aims to ensure universal access to safe, sufficient nutritious food and effective nutrition actions, through setting science-based international food standards, promoting nutrition action in health systems, fostering sustainable food production and consumption, improving food environments and empowering consumers in all situations, monitoring nutrition status, and managing food safety events at the international level, closely working with Member States, UN partner agencies and non-State actors.

In the last decade WHO has worked in fortification, publishing several fortification guidelines within general and specific population groups, and using different food vehicles. Food fortification has permitted to increase the dietary intake of vitamins and minerals in populations that have such nutritional deficiencies. Millions of lives are saved each year, and the quality of life of many more is improved with food fortification. Vitamins A and D are essential micronutrients that are particularly well suited to be delivered through consumption of edible oils and fats as these foods are consumed by a large proportion of the population, on a regular basis and can be part of healthier diets. These are examples of interventions that have had enormous positive impact on health in several populations and can be central to build stronger, more effective, and more resilient food systems that contribute to nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable diets for all.

The “Multisectoral Actions in Food Systems (AFS)” Unit in the NFS is in the process of preparing guidance on fortification of edible oils and fats. A Guideline Development Group (GDG) will be formed and planned GDG meetings will take place to review the evidence and prepare priority questions for recommendations for the fortification of edible oils and fats. 

Scope

To inform the guidance on fortification of edible oils and fat with vitamin A and D, WHO will commission a review of the evidence from trials and/or systematic reviews to retrieve, synthesize and assess the available evidence for the following priority questions.

Scope of work for review

• All type of studies assessing edible oils and fat fortification as long as they have a control group.
• No language or date restrictions in search strategy of the reviews.
• Population: general population of all ages.
• Interventions: fortification of edible oils and fats with vitamin A and/or D. Co-interventions should be applied equally to the intervention and control group.
• Comparisons:
  1. Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin A vs nothing/placebo
  2. Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin A and D vs Fortification of vitamin D
  3. Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin D vs nothing/placebo
  4. Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin A and D vs Fortification of vitamin A
  5. Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin A and D vs nothing/placebo
• Fortification of edible oils + fats with vitamin A and D vs nothing/placebo
• Outcome measures:
  1. Nutritional status (i.e. serum plasma retinol (µmol/L), retinol binding protein plasma vitamin D2 and D3, haemoglobin, others
  2. Nutritional deficiencies (i.e. subclinical and clinical deficiency of vitamin A and vitamin D, anaemia)
  3. Growth / BMI, weight change (overweight/obesity)
  4. Longer-term outcomes, including bone health, glycaemia, diabetes, menopause onset (as defined by trialists).

Qualifications of the author(s)/teams

• Interested author(s)/teams must have experience with conducting complex systematic reviews and should provide references of systematic reviews that they have published in peer-review journals.
• Interested author(s)/teams should have members with complementary skills and competencies including knowledge of the technical area, statistical analysis and excellent writing capabilities.

Timeline

• 5 February - Interested authors or teams submit concept notes, CV of the lead author and budget
• 15 February 2022 - WHO review of proposals complete and authors/teams contacted
• 28 February 2022 - Contracts agreed with the selection team (subject to WHO conditions including review of declarations of interest of members of the rapid review team)
• 31 July 2022 - Draft systematic reviews  submitted to WHO
• 30 August 2022 - Final systematic reviews with GRADE tables submitted

Planned timelines (subject to confirmation)

Start date: 15 March 2022

Deliverable should be completed by: 31 August 2022

Inputs

Regular discussions with WHO focal point and AFS team

How to apply

We will close the application at 16:00 o’clock on Friday, 28 January 2022 (Central European Time) thus only applications received before that will be considered.

Kindly send your proposals to the following e-mail address foodsystems@who.int with the email subject "Consultant - Fortification Review".