Experts discuss the role of food based dietary guidelines (Photo: @FAO)

19 May 2016, Johannesburg - Addressing micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition requires integrated and comprehensive interventions in agriculture, food systems, public health, education and social protection. Food insecurity and malnutrition continue to be a major challenge for African countries, with Sub-Saharan Africa having the highest prevalence of hunger.

One in four persons in the region are undernourished and despite considerable improvements over the last two decades, stunting, underweight and micronutrient deficiencies remain persistently high. At the same time excessive energy intake resulting in overweight, obesity, and diet-related chronic diseases, is rapidly increasing in many countries.

Participants from 12 African countries converged in Johannesburg, South Africa for a Technical Consultation entitled “Preparation of Food Based Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Education for Promoting Healthy Diets” hosted by the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA).

Representatives from ministries of health, agriculture and other food and nutrition experts met to discuss challenges in promoting healthy diets and nutritional well-being. They also compared different models and lessons learned from other countries such as Sierra Leone and South Africa, while exploring applicability to their context, to promote the development and implementation of national food-based dietary guidelines in their respective countries.

Access to safe and nutritious food crucial

Speaking in his opening remarks, FAO Representative in South Africa, Tobias Takavarasha expressed the increasing need for integrated approaches and interventions to promote nutritionally balanced diets.

“The challenge is not only to produce more food from increasingly limited resources but also to ensure access to safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs. Public goods, sound policies, institutional and technological innovations combined with effective social protection measures are required to address this challenge”, he said.

“For agriculture development to be more efficient in providing solutions to hunger and malnutrition there is a need for wider implementation of effective, sustainable and long-term nutrition-sensitive agriculture development and food-based approaches that give attention to the quality of food in terms of variety, diversity, nutrient content and safety of food. Therefore, I welcome the participants that are here from the agriculture sector, and your role is crucial in this effort”, Takavarasha added.

Professor Ali Dhansay, President of the Nutrition Society of South Africa, noted that it is vital for the participants to look at the current guidelines that are in place and put them into practice, as this will enhance the preparation of National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Education for the promotion of healthy diets.

30 percent of the world population malnourished

Globally, 161 million children under the age of five are stunted due to chronic undernutrition. Micronutrient malnutrition affects around two billion people (over 30 percent of the world population) in particular vitamin A, iodine, iron, and zinc, among others with serious public health consequences. 

Many of the most nutritionally vulnerable populations, landless labourers, small, resource-poor and marginalized households, depend on upon agriculture for their livelihoods. Agriculture and food systems play a significant role in raising levels of nutrition and standards of living of those who are hungry and poorly nourished.

“The commitment from all sectors indeed forms the cornerstone for successfully overcoming malnutrition in the continent.  This workshop was a success because of the countries' active participation and engagement. FAO assures countries of its commitment to support them in this process”, said Ana Islas a Nutrition Officer with FAO’s Nutrition and Food Systems Division.

Countries, which participated in the technical consultation (9 - 11 May 2016), were Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

More Information

Food-based dietary guidelines (and related press release)

Contact

Steven Lazaro | FAO South Africa - Communications | [email protected]