Africa unites to bring nuclear nutrition expertise to the continent
The Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition – Statistics and Trends 2023 report reveals staggering malnutrition figures, with over 280 million people, approximately 20% of the continent's population, suffering from undernourishment.This number has surged by nearly 60 million since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, posing a significant challenge to Africa's well-being.
Addressing this crisis involves leveraging nuclear technology, particularly through diagnostic methods, which are poised to play a vital role in combating malnutrition. Collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stakeholders across Africa are embarking on a four-year initiative aimed at enhancing the use of stable isotope techniques to bolster the micronutrient status of African children. Stable isotopes, being safe and precise markers, offer effective means to pinpoint areas contributing to malnutrition.
This initiative culminates in the development of an MSc program in Nutrition with Nuclear Techniques. The curriculum, tailored by each participating African university, is standardized to some extent for consistency. Currently, the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa and Morocco are the lead hosts for Anglophone and Francophone students respectively. Ghana, Senegal, and Zambia are next in line to implement the program, with 37 other African countries proposed to follow suit.
Prof Linda Malan from NWU's Centre for Excellence in Nutrition emphasises the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in Africa, adversely affecting child development and maternal health. She underscores the importance of assessing micronutrient absorption and bioavailability, citing limited expertise and laboratory capacity in Africa. The MSc program aims to bridge this gap by training students in stable isotope techniques, including those for iron, zinc, and vitamin A absorption assessment.
The project aspires to equip African nations with the capacity to design and evaluate interventions to address micronutrient deficiencies, fostering health and economic development. Through collaborative efforts involving universities, UN agencies like the IAEA and WHO, and African governments, systematic eradication of malnutrition across the continent becomes a tangible goal.