Nutrition & Health

Nutrition plays a critical role in the prevention of diseases (communicable and non-communicable) and is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of diseases, and longevity.

Studies show that well-nourished children learn better and people with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and malnutrition.

Malnutrition can be classed in to three categories: undernutrition (wasting or stunting); inadequate vitamins or minerals; and overweight or obese, and resulting diet-related noncommunicable diseases. The three forms of malnutrition are spread all over the world in different proportions, and most affected are the low- and middle-income countries.

Most concerning about malnutrition is that it has intergenerational effect – malnutrition echoes beyond the first malnourished generation to future generations through epigenetics. To break this cycle a coordinated approach to improve feeding practices of children up to five is crucial and should be started immediately.

To prevent intergenerational adverse effects of malnutrition and achieve optimal health at personal, community, and national levels, research in up and coming nutrition topics such as personalized nutrition, epigenetics, nutraceuticals, functional foods, nutrigenomics, and the identification and utilization of nutrition-dense foods to provide country adjusted and evidence based knowledge is crucial.

Food Production

Food production plays a central role in food security. Food production can be enhanced by adjusting food production to the physiological needs of the population by identifying and selecting nutrition-dense foods, preserving, cultivating, and increasing the use of indigenous food products, integrating abundant nutritious national resources such as sea food and wild fruits and vegetables. Through nutrition sensitive food production, the role of food can be upgraded to improve nutritional status and health.

Improved food production methods and seasonal food production may lead to an excess of some commodities that call for nutrition-sensitive value addition, by which (seasonal) excess food can be preserved to be spread throughout the year. At the same time nutrition sensitive value addition can support local producers in improving the production of targeted commodities and support economic growth at personal and national level.

Nutrition-sensitive value addition can, therefore, improve the availability and accessibility of food. In the process, the safety of value-added foods can be secured through interplay with relevant sectors.

For optimal impact on nutrition security, food production should therefore be research based and adjusted to nutritional needs, environmentally friendly & safe. This should be followed by nutrition sensitive value addition, fairly & evenly distributed, and monitored by nutrition sensitive indicators.

Awareness Raising

Awareness raising in nutrition aims to ensure that no one is malnourished due to a lack of knowledge in nutrition. Studies conducted between 2020-2023 revealed gaps in knowledge and attitudes regarding maternal and child feeding practices in Eritrea. Thus, awareness-raising campaigns and social behavioral change communication strategies in maternal and child eating practices are needed.

In addition, nutrition awareness in institutions that provide food services such as educational settings (i.e., childcare/preschool, elementary, junior, and high school including Sawa), vocational training settings, and hospitals settings, can play an important role in nutrition security and in the well-being of society. The role of media and the Ministry of Information in awareness raising campaigns cannot be over emphasized.

Implementing nutrition in educational settings can improve the food and nutrition environment by promoting nutrition sensitive strategies and by creating awareness in the population in general as well as in those who purchase, prepare and serve food in educational and other institutional settings.

Achieving high general knowledge in nutrition through evidence based strategies to increase awareness in the public can only be realized by mainstreaming nutrition in educational systems at all levels and through providing higher level nutrition education (Masters and PhD level) and promoting research in nutrition and related subjects.

Food Trade, Standardisation and Legislation

Food safety is a pillar of food security and ensuring health at the personal, community, and national level. Thus, securing food from all forms of contamination cannot be neglected.

Nutrition and food legislation to protect the population from food adulteration and toxic components added to food (deliberately or un deliberately) should be placed and followed.

Therefore, developing and updating the national food safety standards to align with international standards and ensuring that they are consistent with current knowledge, food-related scientific and technological research, and state-of-the-art analytical instruments, knowledge in risk assessment and evaluation based on sound scientific analysis is vital. These measures require a holistic approach by all relevant stakeholders.

The importance of a research and analytical laboratory in implementing and following national and international food standards is unequivocal.

Nutrition Resilience

According to the National Charter of Eritrea, “social justice means narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots, ensuring that all people have their fair share of the national wealth and can participate in the political, social, and cultural life of the country, to create balanced development, [and] respect human rights…”

This definition of social justice encompasses the ideology of no one being left behind also in nutrition security. Eritrea has been working with this ideology even before independence. Mainstreaming the ideology in nutrition and related issues with emergency preparedness should be revived to ensure nutrition security and optimal health.

Emergency preparedness and contingency plans are components to maintain social justice in any possible situation.

Considering the rising global threat of natural and manmade catastrophes such as climate change, emerging new communicable diseases, and the need for war emergency preparedness in food and nutrition, it is vital to develop the technical knowledge in analytical and diagnostic instruments, and research to predict and prepare for upcoming challenges.