Three countries to benefit from project to control malnutrition

Ghana, The Gambia and Niger are to benefit from a 950,000-Canadian dollar project to improve on the micronutrient deficiency situation in the three countries.

Under the project, children under-five and pregnant women would be offered Vitamin A, Iron and folic acid supplements for two years. Sponsored by the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), it is hoped that the supplementation programme will help control micronutrient malnutrition in the beneficiary countries.

The Director of General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, launched the Regional Micronutrient Supplementation Project for West Africa organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Accra last Wednesday.

According to Dr Appiah-Denkyira, two billion people, making a third of the world’s population, are unable to achieve their full mental and physical potential due to their marginal deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. 

Also an estimated 44 per cent of children under five years are at risk of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) if an effective programme to control these deficiencies are not implemented.

Micronutrient deficiency

Micronutrient deficiencies result from inadequate dietary intake due to poverty, lack of access to a variety of foods, lack of knowledge about optimal dietary practices, increased physiological needs and high incidence of infectious diseases.

Micronutrient deficiencies impair intelligence, strength and energy, sap vitality, productivity and initiative from economic development and could also lead to death.

Vitamin A Deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children, contributes to impaired immune system function and raises the risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, making it a major contributor of under-five mortality.

Iron deficiency anaemia on the other hand, reduces cognitive capability, reduces physical capacity and productivity, increases maternal mortality, complications with childbirth and infant mortality.

Controlling anaemia in pregnant women, Dr Appiah-Dankyira said, could lead to 20 per cent reduction in maternal mortality and eliminating anaemia in adults could result in productivity increases of up to 17 per cent.

Interventions

According to Dr Appiah Dankyira, “There are effective and proven interventions that can eliminate or considerably reduce the consequences of these deficiencies.”

It includes high-dose of Vitamin A supplementation which builds and protects infants and children against infectious diseases such as measles and diarrhoea.

He said the high rates of under-five mortality and the persistent high prevalence of under nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, made improving coverage of twice-yearly vitamin supplementation among children six to 59 months a critical intervention.

The Deputy Director General of the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), Dr Assogba Laurette, said there was an increasing need to explore innovative and sustainable approaches to improving access and intake of micronutrients.

The Regional Director for the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), Dr Richard Pandame, said the aim of the project was to support the selected countries improve vitamin A supplementation for children, and iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women.