International community urged to invest in food security
Date
9/12/2015 6:48:43 PM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The African Union (AU) and the international community have been urged to step up investments in food security with a view to averting diseases compounded by the nutritional shortfalls that can affect pregnant women children and the elderly.
Addressing the ongoing Global Summit on Food Fortification in Arusha AU nutrition envoy King Letsie III of Lesotho said that balanced diets should be given priority if Africa is to meet its many health challenges.
"According to the World Health Organization food security is a worldwide challenge” he said. “It’s estimated that two billion people mostly those living in the least developed countries are facing vitamin deficiencies.”
Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda for his part attributed ongoing food insecurity in Africa to insufficient resources and inadequate strategies.
"Famine and malnutrition need more than simply extending relief to victims of sporadic drought and other calamities" said Pinda attributing the trend to the failure to meet basic needs climate change and a lack of equal opportunity.
Steven Kebwe Tanzania’s deputy health and social welfare minister noting that food fortification was a new concept in Africa said it was time for a vigorous awareness campaign to ensure communities enjoyed sufficient access to food.
"By supplementing iodine in salt and other important minerals in various foodstuffs Tanzania has greatly achieved success in cutting down deaths of children under five years of age" said Kebwe.
By Peter Saramba Ongiri
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