1 / 13

CHALLENGES FOR NUTRITION RESEARCH Focus on Africa

Highlighting nutrition challenges in Africa with a focus on undernutrition, obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and the need for sustainable research and healthy diet solutions. Discusses the impact of nutrition on human capital, health, and development, stressing the importance of evidence-based decision-making in addressing these issues.

mlaura
Download Presentation

CHALLENGES FOR NUTRITION RESEARCH Focus on Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. CHALLENGES FOR NUTRITION RESEARCH Focus on Africa Patrick Kolsteren Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp

  2. Double burden MALNUTRITION UNDERNUTRITION OBESITY STUNTING WASTING MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

  3. Black et al. Lancet 2008

  4. NUTRITION FOR DEVELOPMENT • Strong evidence that adequate nutrition in utero and in the first 2 years of life is essential for formation of human capital. • Growth and development • Disease and survival • Long-term implications of under-nutrition • adult human capital, • height, • school achievement, • economic productivity • and birth-weight of the offspring.

  5. NUTRITION FOR DEVELOPMENT • Underweight populations are more prone to negative effects of overweight and the adoption of diets and lifestyles of developed countries. • Earlier and more type II diabetes • More cardio-vascular risk • More pronounced effects of obesity

  6. CHALLENGE 1: SUPPORTING RELEVANT RESEARCH • 99 % grants for “new solutions” that can reduce mortality by 22% • 1 % for solutions that increase coverage that can reduce mortality by 66 % Leroy et al. American Journal of Public Health 2007

  7. NUTRITION RESEARCH IN AFRICA

  8. GEPHI –NUTRITIONAL STATUS

  9. Publication analysis conclusions • A lot of research is done • Little cross border networking within the continent • Duplication of research • Lack of evidence base in general • Evidence development does not address the “how can we improve the situation” rather quick fixes 10

  10. CHALLENGE 2: PROVIDE A HEALTHY DIET IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY • Population increase to 9-10 billion by 2050 • 70 % of arable land is used for animal production • Food speculation • Cereals or land for bio-fuel • Water export • Climatic changes and local stresses

  11. A NEW FOCUS ON RESEARCH FOR DECISION MAKING • Sustainability a key element • Develop mechanisms to identify research questions from an African policy perspective. • Knowledge centres • Training of experts • Create an African research fund to support evidence based decision making research

  12. SUNRAY Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come EU Funded project (2011-2013) www.sunrayafrica.co.za Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come EU Funded project (2011-2013) www.sunrayafrica.co.za

More Related