Food and Nutrition

Hunger and malnutrition are crippling problems around the world. Children and women in Asia, Africa and South and Central America are most at risk. Malnourished individuals are more likely to become ill, and once ill, their illness will be more severe and last longer.

It is estimated that malnutrition is responsible for about 55% of all child deaths, or about 6 million child deaths every year. Of those who survive, malnutrition saps their energy, causes permanent developmental impairments, and reduces their physical, cognitive and economic potential.

HealthBridge works in partnership with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, universities, hospitals and health-care providers and private partners to combat hunger and malnutrition and improve food security^_1.

Our two areas of focus:

1. Using an Ecohealth approach^_2, we conduct research on integrating agriculture and nutrition programs to improve the health of participating farmers.

• Often stand-alone agriculture interventions increase the amount of food produced without improving the health of the participating farmers and their families (see our paper).
• We assist in integrating an explicit nutrition focus into agriculture interventions to improve the probability of a health impact.

2. We conduct research and lead programs in micronutrient programs to improve micronutrient status, including food fortification, micronutrient supplementation, and dietary modification.

• Improving micronutrient status can have immediate benefits, such as reducing young child mortality by 25%, reducing anaemia by 70%, and virtually eliminating iodine deficiency.
• As impressive as these impacts can be, actually increasing the intakes of micronutrients by vulnerable populations is difficult. Therefore HealthBridge efforts in this field focus on improving micronutrient delivery, knowing that if the delivery system is improved, the health benefits will follow.

Additionally, we:

• conduct research on chemical contaminants in food to assess the risk of exposure to pollution in food;
• provide technical support in food and nutrition research, including data management and analysis, to NGOs, government, and other groups working in this field;
• provide training opportunities for young Canadian nutritionists.

Footnotes

1. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. World Food Summit 1996.

2. In seeking to improve human health and well-being while simultaneously maintaining a healthy ecosystem, the emphasis is on the design of solutions based on ecosystem management rather than health sector interventions. IDRC.