LONDON, UK – The Infant Malnutrition System Alert (IMSA) app was developed by ofi sustainability analyst Dr Stéphanie Konan PhD to address high-rates of infant malnutrition in Côte d’Ivoire, where one in five children experience stunted growth and development. It is the first digital health screening service in the country, powered by a geographic information system.
By sending alerts to nearby or configured healthcare facilities of registered cases in real-time, IMSA digitized the malnutrition monitoring, enabling quicker treatment, facilitating follow-up, and providing the National Nutrition Program with insightful high level reports.
Since 2019, during the Journée d’Intensification des Activités de Nutrition (JIAN) in Côte d’Ivoire, ofi has been supporting the digitalization of malnutrition screening by using IMSA.
This annual campaign is part of its existing nutrition and health programs in Côte d’Ivoire, where it sources cashew, cocoa, and coffee from over 185,000 farming families and via a vast network of local traders.
In 2024, working in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire’s National Nutrition Program, ofi teams and volunteers screened over 22,000 children in cashew communities in the Béoumi district.
370 moderate and acute cases of malnutrition were identified and referred to healthcare facilities. The app also allows ofi to track every case referred for treatment, allowing for 6-month follow-ups.
ofi’s field workers, together with its partners, and local community health workers, also delivered crucial interventions including deworming and Vitamin A tablets, and information on good nutrition – as studies show that infant malnutrition can be largely attributed to a lack of education and low literacy rates.
As well as the Edie award, IMSA and its contribution to national efforts to combat malnutrition was awarded the Prize for Research and Innovation by Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2023.
The developer of the app, ofi’s sustainability analyst Dr Stéphanie Konan PhD, said: “IMSA was born from a simple idea: that replacing the existing paper-based screening with a digital solution could enable earlier detection and treatment. From that simple idea, collaboration and partnership has built a successful program. ofi’s local teams, embedded in farming communities, have trained community health service agents and established partnerships with local health authorities to reach tens of thousands of farming families.
“What’s really exciting is the great potential IMSA offers for scaling up malnutrition screening and interventions across other regions and countries facing similar public health issues. These kinds of innovative ideas delivered at scale are central to delivering ofi’s long-term ambition to help farming communities thrive.”
The Edie award recognises socially responsible business initiatives which are driving positive change at a time when social sustainability and the “just transition” is of paramount importance. ofi has made nutrition and health a central part of its efforts to create thriving communities under its Choices for Change strategy and is committed to reaching 750,000 households in the communities where it operates to improve their nutrition and health by 2030.
Discover much more about what ofi has to offer here.
About ofi
ofi (olam food ingredients) is an operating group born out of Olam. ofi offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products and ingredients so that consumers can enjoy the healthy and indulgent products they love.
It consists of industry-leading businesses of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices. ofi has built a unique global value chain presence including its own farming operations, farm-gate origination, and manufacturing facilities. ofi partners with customers, leveraging its complementary and differentiated portfolio of ‘on-trend’ food products, to co-create solutions that anticipate and meet changing consumer preferences as demand increases for healthier food that’s traceable and sustainable.
About Olam
Olam Group is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to 22,000 customers worldwide. Their value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a global network of farmers.
Through their purpose to ‘Re-imagine Global Agriculture and Food Systems’, Olam Group aims to address the many challenges involved in meeting the needs of a growing global population, while achieving positive impact for farming communities, their planet and all their stakeholders. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, Olam Group currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalisation on SGX-ST.
Since June 2020, Olam Group has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a global sustainable investment index series developed by FTSE Russell, following a rigorous assessment of Olam’s supply chain activities, impact on the environment and governance transparency. The FTSE4Good Index Series identifies companies that demonstrate strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds.
