Nutrition, Health, and Food Security Research - South Africa

This is an overview an investigation of the effects of e'Pap, a fortified food product, on the health and nutrition of adult TB patients and children. The research was conducted in 2010 in Alexandra, South Africa.

The research was undertaken by the South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA) and the Siyakhana Initiative for Ecological Health And Food Security, which is a Division of Public Oral Health and the Health Promotion Unit, in the Schools of Public Health and Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand. The research was supported by Health Empowerment Through Nutrition (HETN), the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and Kholofela ya Joseph. Funding was provided by HETN, Econocom Foods, and BHP Billiton.

The Research Objectives were:
• To record and describe the socio-economic status and the nutritional concerns (including food security) of the wider population of Alexandra and specifically the two selected samples investigated in this research.
• To generate baseline data on the nutritional status of a sample of 3-6 year old children and adult TB populations in Alexandra,
• To evaluate the sensitivity and validity of non-invasive indicators of nutritional status by correlating these with biochemical serum tests.
• To evaluate the practicality of proposed research instruments and procedures.
• To develop data-collection skills and build capacity among support staff within the community at the research location.
• To evaluate the impact of a fortified food (e'Pap) on the nutritional status of children and adult TB patients over a three (3) month period.

For more information visit www.siyakhana.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• food security
• HIV
• AIDS
• TB
• nutrition
• e'Pap
• South Africa
• Alexandra
• township
• illness
• health
• children
• research
• wits
• SANTA
• siyakhana initiative
• tuberculosis
• HETN
• creche
• fortified food

[heartpeter]

Excellent - well done - this could be a very good solution!

[bwberman1945]

well done -- let's see the final clinical results distributed as widely and as soon as possible,