Children and Women of child bearing age as greatest casualty
By Yemti Ndienla Originally published on Associated Content
Though Cameroon is said to be an agricultural breadbasket, government here is failing to meet its goals for auditing food-safety inspections to guarantee food fortification. Consequently, the effect of poor food intake and related deficiency are causing great havoc on people here with Children and Women of child bearing age as greatest casualty.
Disturbing statistics released by the country’s Ministry of Public health indicate that vitamin A deficiency causes 23% of infant deaths, anaemia in 50% of women of child bearing age while zinc deficiency is partly responsible for severe growth retardation and a drop in a child’s intelligence quotient (IQ) by 5 to 10 points. Those not withstanding, deficiencies in nutrients here are equally a leading cause of illnesses and a decline of the country’s productivity work force.
So disturbing is the situation that it drew International sympathy from the Helen Killen International Foundation which is presently providing technical and financial support in assisting the government of Cameroon in reinforcing quality control and norms through a National food fortification programme.
Accordingly, this praiseworthy effort which Public Health authorities say would pave way for minerals to be added to processed foods to enhance their value, is expected to shrink, by half, the predominance speed of anaemia amongst children and women of child bearing age within a five- year interlude.
The countrie's Ministers of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, together with Haman Adama of Basic Education who jointly launched the national food fortification programme, encouraged Cameroonians to contribute and pool resources to make possible the success of the program.
Yemti Ndienla blogs at Prince Report
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