Right now the international focus is rightly on how Covid is impacting on India. But there are other countries that are suffering as a result of their leadership denying the full seriousness of the pandemic. One of these is Tanzania, whose last president was Africa's most prominent Covid-denier. He banned the release of Covid data in June, saying that it was fuelling public panic and that the crisis had been dealt with through prayer. He died this March, reportedly from heart disease though many believe he died from Covid. Now there is a rush to bring in medication and install medical oxygen plants.

Tanzania is one of five countries where Sanku - set up by Project Healthy Children -  is working to boost population health by fighting malnutrition. Before the pandemic 130 children were dying of malnutrition there every day. Of those who live, only two thirds grow to their normal height. A third are deficient in iron and vitamin A (which prevents blindness). None of this is necessary. While rich countries routinely fortify food, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique do not. Yet it's the simplest and cheapest way of boosting health in a population. Now, through Sanku, affordable technology is being supplied to millers in these countries to ensure that nutrients are mixed into flour.

The charity's aim was initially to put a stop to 6M preventable deaths annually. Now nutritionists believe that Covid means that at least 1.2M more children in Sub-Saharan Africa will be affected by chronic malnutrition. According to statistics - and no, I don't know precisely how they work either - every dollar a country spends on fortification will yield $30 in economic benefits paid back. Beyond this I chose it because it was highlighted by 'The Life You Can Save' as one of the charities for which the largest proportion of the money donated goes directly to the people you are trying to help. And it's not rocket science to see how better nutrition for children will impact positively on the rest of their lives, especially now. Thank you so much for helping with this.