The Importance Of Under-Nutrition In Ethiopia

Maize, Zea Mays Linnaeus, is the third important cereal crop globally after wheat and rice. It is increasingly used for human consumption and accounts for 70% of the food consumed in Sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, 2007).

Ethiopia is the third largest producer of maize in Eastern and Southern Africa, following South Africa and Tanzania (CIMMYT, 2000). In Ethiopia, small holders plant maize mainly as a subsistence crop while the large modern farms mainly produce for the market. The share of the smallholder sector was about 95% of total maize production (CSA, 2002). Of the total production, 75 % of maize being consumed by the farming household as it is the cheapest source of calorie intake in Ethiopia, providing 20.6 % of per capita calorie intake

These children and their mothers suffer disproportionately from the poor health and nutrition situation in the country. The national demographic health survey conducted by central statistical agency in 2014 showed that the prevalence of wasting[ Insufficient weight for height, an indicator of acute under-nutrition (FAO, 1997)], under-weight[ Insufficient weight for age which could be a result of both stunting and wasting (FAO, 1997)] and stunting[ Insufficient height for age indicating chronic under-nutrition (FAO, 1997)] was: 9%, 25% and 40%, respectively (CSA, 2014). Protein energy malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency disorders, and iron deficiency anemia are the most common forms of malnutrition in Ethiopia (Edris, 2004). Ministry of healthy reported that, 29% malnutrition was prevalent among lactating mothers, 5-15% vitamin A deficiency disease among the pregnant women, 30% iodine deficiency among the general population and 58% child death rate was occurred due to malnutrition (MoH, 2003) showing the seriousness of the

The result suggests that dietary diversity scores have a potential for monitoring changes in dietary energy availability particularly when resources are lacking for quantitative measurements. However, this remedial measure for malnutrition is unattainable and considered as expensive strategy to maintain on large scale because of economic constraints and seasonality of vegetables and fruits (Meenakshi et al., 2009).

Food fortification, the second weapon for malnutrition, sometimes called “enrichment” refers to the method of adding micro nutrients like vitamins and/or minerals to foods to increase its overall nutritional content while processing foods (WHO/FAO, 2006).

The aim is to increase intake of one or more nutrients that are inadequate in the food supply. This can be done in three ways: First, restoring the nutrients lost during food processing by restoring depleted nutrients to their natural level, for example restoring B-vitamins which are lost during milling. Second, increasing the level of essential nutrients, for example, adding extra iron to wheat flour or extra calcium to milk. Thirdly, adding nutrients that are not normally present in a food item for example putting vitamin A into sugar, or iodine into salt (WFP, 2004; WHO,