Eat fortified foods for better health

Apr 26, 2005

IN spite of her fair climate and rich soils, Uganda has suffered many famines. This shortage amidst plenty, has been compounded by what authorities refer to as ‘hidden hunger’ or micronutrient deficiency.

By Kiganda Ssonko
IN spite of her fair climate and rich soils, Uganda has suffered many famines. This shortage amidst plenty, has been compounded by what authorities refer to as ‘hidden hunger’ or micronutrient deficiency.

A USAID Micronutrient Project MOST, increased intake of vitamin A results in fewer cases of clinical malaria and high iron intake reduces health costs by lessening hospital visits. Flour fortified with folic acid can help prevent more than 125,000 severe birth defects every year.

Vitamin A also reduces death by at least 23% in children aged six to 59 months. It can also result in a greater than 50% reduction in measles deaths and greater reduction in diarrhoea, iron intake reduces maternal morbidity.
The government has already adopted a multi-strategy approach to assure micronutrients like Vitamin A, zinc, iron and iodine are available to all Ugandans.

This multi-strategy also includes nutrition education, supplementation, diet diversity and food fortification among others.

However, only three food-processing companies are fortifying their products. These are UNGA 2000 Limited, Maganjo Grain Millers in Kampala, which fortify maize and Mukwano Industries that fortifies cooking oil.

According to a recent USAID-MOST report about food fortification, the micronutrients are necessary for maintenance of stronger bodies and mental sharpness.

“Micronutrients save people’s lives, Vitamin A, iron and iodine impact on child-survival, women’s health, nutritional blindness, adult productivity and resistance to illness. Recent studies have highlighted the public health significance to two other micronutrients, zinc and folic acid.

Zinc helps fight illnesses like diarrhoea and pneumonia. It reduces child death whereas folic acid reduces risks of spinal cord defects in newborns,” the report said.

“The MOST campaign is to ensure that as many poor people are reached and since many Ugandans use maize flour and cooking oils, it is the reason fortifying was started with them though we are still very few fortifiers”, Gudo Ahluwalia, managing director of UNGA 2000, said. “A lot needs to be done on other foods like milk, beverages, flours of all types to save the populations from destruction.”

Micronutrients consumption can also be increased through eating a variety of rich foods like animal products, cereals, legumes, fruits and dark green leafy vegetables that.

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