Kyllä se eläinperäisen ravinnon puute on valtava ongelma afrikassa ja aiheuttaa paljon kuolemia ja valtavat määrät vakavia ongelmia lasten terveydessä ja kehityksessä. Se on vaan fakta, että kasveista ei saa kaikkea välttämättömiä ravintoaineita mitä ihminen tarvitsee.
Välillä on lehdissä ollut juttua myös länsimaista, kun vegaani vanhempien lapsia on jouduttu huostaanottamaan, koska ovat olleet aliravittuja ja alikehittyneitä
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Deficiency in essential nutrients and micronutrients
Given that
vitamin A is critical for proper functioning of the
visual system and for maintaining
immune defences, its deficiency remains a public health issue. An estimated 250,000 to 500,000 children deficient in vitamin A become
blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. This deficiency accounts for 350 million cases of blindness and 670,000 deaths globally (WHO, 2001).
[1] In Africa alone, it contributes to 23 per cent of child deaths. In 2009, the prevalence of low
serum retinol, associated with vitamin A deficiency, was 37.7 per cent in
Ethiopia, 49 per cent in the
Congo, and 42 per cent in
Madagascar. The immediate causes of this deficiency are the low rates of consumption of animal products, the poor bioavailability of vitamin A in cereal-based diets, the consumption of green leaves with low
lipid content, and an increased bodily demand for vitamin A owing to the infections that frequently affect African children (Manga, 2011).
[5][1]
There are equally disturbing levels of
zinc deficiencies and this has seriously adverse effects on growth, the risk and severity of infections, as well as the level of immune function. Although the actual prevalence is unclear, zinc deficiency is recognized as one of the main risk factors for
morbidity and mortality. It contributes to over 450,000 deaths per year among children under 5 years, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
[1] It affected 57 per cent of children under 5 in
Senegal, 72 per cent in
Burkina Faso, and 41.5 per cent in
Nigeria in 2004.
[6] The main causes of this deficiency in children are a lack of zinc-rich easily absorbed foodstuffs (such as meat, poultry, seafood) and the over-consumption of foodstuffs that inhibit zinc absorption, such as cereals, roots and
tubers, which are among Africa's staples.
[6][1]
Inadequacies in
iodine intake on the other hand impair the synthesis of
thyroid hormones, which are critical for normal development and proper functioning of the brain and nervous system as well as the conservation of body heat and energy. Iodine deficiency causes endemic
goitre and
cretinism as well as
stunting of mental and physical development. Globally, 1.6 million people are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders and 50 million children affected by them. About 100,000 children are born each year with
mental retardation, most of them in Africa. This is due to the low consumption of iodine-rich foodstuffs (e.g. marine products) and the over-consumption of foodstuffs causing goitre, particularly bitter
cassava, which is a staple in
Central Africa.
[7]
Anaemia is quite prevalent in Africa especially among young children due mainly to a diet that is low in animal-based foodstuffs and high in fibre-rich cereals,
tannins and
phytates which inhibit
iron absorption. In 2006, about 67.6 per cent of children under 5, and overall 83.5 million children were anaemic.
[8] Through its effects on metabolic processes such as
oxygen transport,
oxidative metabolism and cell growth, iron deficiency also retards growth and development. It impairs the immune response and increases susceptibility to infection, delays
motor development, and diminishes concentration (impairing cognitive and behavioural capacities). It therefore prevents 40-60 per cent of African children from attaining their full mental capacities. Moreover, of the 26 health risks reported by the
WHO Global Burden of Disease project, iron deficiency is ranked ninth in terms of years of life lost.
[1]
Preventive interventions
Supplementary feeding[edit]
Undernourished children have lowered resistance to infection and are at greater risk of common childhood diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, recurring sickness and faltering growth, often with irreversible damage to their cognitive and social development.
[10] For current and future generations, good nutrition is a cornerstone for survival, health and development. Well-nourished children set off on a better developmental path (both physically and mentally), perform better in school, grow into healthier adults and are able to give their own children a better start in life. Supplementary feeding, when properly implemented, helps to reduce the mortality rate of children under 5 by 6 per cent.
[9][10][11][1]
Micronutrient powders (MNPs) for point of use fortification, contain a mixture of
vitamins and minerals. They are added on to ready to eat semi solid foods such as porridge, without altering the original taste. This intervention reduces
iron deficiency anaemia in children between six and twenty-three months of age
[17]
Zinc supplements[edit]
The role of zinc in strengthening immune defences cannot be underestimated and in areas where effective preventive supplementation campaigns have been implemented, particularly in Africa, the child mortality rate has been lowered by 4 per cent.
[9][10][11][1]
Vitamin A supplement[edit]
Biannual vitamin A supplements can help to reduce mortality among young children by 23 per cent.
[11][1]