Mainstreaming nutrition in education system
Balanced diet with adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and limited consumption of fats, sodium, and sugar could save the world including Eritrea from devastating human sufferings and economic costs that are associated to unbalanced diet/malnutrition.
Unfortunately the most vulnerable group of a society namely infants, children, pregnant and lactating women and adolescents are the main victims of malnutrition, that negatively affects their health and wellbeing. In children malnutrition impairs their ability to learn, affecting their future productivity and their contribution to national development. Another alarming phenomena in the intergenerational effect of malnutrition that dooms the next generation to all the negative effects associated.
Thus investing in nutrition security with emphasis maternal and child feeding and adolescent feeding practices is decisive for the wellbeing of generations to come, and the national development with favorable economical outcome. Education system starting from preschool to high school including SAWA, and higher-education are key environs with major contribution to effective and efficient promotion of nutrition security. The education system has played central role in several interventions such as sanitation, health, vaccinations, and social protection. Hence there is expertise and experience that can easily be implemented in interventions to secure nutrition.
The education system is therefore an institute for effective implementation of nutrition interventions to break the vicious intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Nevertheless, it has to be clear that the education system by itself cannot be responsible for securing nutrition without coherent approach of other sectors; It also has to be noted that many children may start pre-school with signs of malnutrition, such as stunted, underweight and/ or suffering from multiple micronutrient deficiencies, emphasizing the need for a coherent, holistic and sustainable approach to nutrition that is beyond the scope of merely the education system.
At preschool and daycare centres, and at primary, junior and high school level, and Saw, education system has the potential to play central role in awareness raising by including nutrition in the curriculum. Hence education system can play important role in behavioral change activities, and by directly improving nutrition status of children and adolescents and by improving the nutritional content of food served in the school premises.
The education system can reach a wider audience that includes the families of the students thus amplifying the message to the community level. Through class room lessons, structured learning opportunity, vocational training the school system can strengthen the general knowledge in nutrition and related subjects such as health, sanitation, and agriculture.
More over in the case when education settings have assess to land and water project like Minimum Integrated House hold Agriculture projects can be implemented at school level. Such activities can enhance hands on learning in nutrition sensitive agriculture and food production both at the school setting and home since some students may be motivated to start home gardening as well.
The Higher Education can play a vital role in capacity building and training professionals such as teachers, food technologists, agricultural work force, health workers and nutritionists at BSc and MSc level to strength work force skills. Thus develop staff with capacity to conduct nutrition situational analysis, Situation analysis is important for evidence based intervention to give a clear view of the prevalence of malnutrition and the basic, underlying and immediate causes. Situation analysis also helps identify the most vulnerable groups and priorities main issues and adjust action plan accordingly. It is therefore an important step in developing, and implementing holistic food and nutrition interventions.
do so with food service staff, vendors, community volunteers and, in some cases, producers.
sustaining holistic food and nutrition approaches.
with each one of them (sectors) making investments, receiving benefits and managing risks.
coherent and sustainable manner.
Food choices and practices are influenced by a myriad of evolving interacting factors, from individual preferences and attitudes to sociocultural and political norms.
Food served in institutions
Evidence based Multi sectorial Nutrition Food and Nutrition Policy/strategic plan that considers the entire food systems
Role of nutrition in micronutrient deficiency and communicable & noncommunicable diseases.
Improved impact on nutrition is a result of coordinated multi-sectorial approach.
Additional factors such as climate change, increasing global population weigh additional heavy burden on nutrition at national and global level.
The effects of environment scarcity of Safe water leading to sanitation problems, drought lead to amplified consequently health.
Food systems starting from farm production, to manufacturing, packaging, standardisation, safety, distribution, retail, preparation and consumption back to production completing a loop is affected by political, social, economical and environmental issues.
Optimising the food systems through coordinated optimal management of production and food waste products, is central for optimal nutrition outcomes
Food Security exists when all people at all time have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to meet the dietary requirement and food preference for an active and healthy life.
Factors affecting food security climate change, trade agreements, urbanisation, communities response to globalisation, infrastructure, gaps in transportation, increased waste, pollution, deforestation. These factors impact on food availability, acres, utilisation and stability.
Health is not the absence of disease but rather a sate of complete physical, spiritual, and mental well being. Optimal Health is affected by a number of social, environmental and economic factors known as determinants of health
Food and nutrition health promotion principles
Strengthen and build healthy public policies
Creat enabling and supportive environments
Strengthen community action
Build and develop personal life skills for Individuals
Constitute to strength reorientation of health services
Adress Social and environmental determinants of health that affect nutrition
Situational analysis
Key strategic areas
Coordinated approach
Capacity building in nutrition, strength work force skills
Improve food systems understanding
Strengthen collaboration with community members to improve community mobilisation
Advocate for societal change through legislation and regulation reforms
Provide key messages to the community
Strengthe evidence based research
Goals:
Food Availability access and us
Food Nutrition and Health
Food Safety (compare with goals in SBCC)
Institutions that serve food in Eritrea
SAWA
Hospital
Daycare
Food sold in school compounds