From the Food Security Forum 2014: Good food, good health: delivering the benefits of food security in Australia and beyond - 17 March 2014

1. One Health approach to
food and nutrition security in
sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia
Associate Professor Robyn Alders, AO
Faculty of Veterinary Science
Charles Perkins Centre
Good food, good health: delivering the benefits of food
security in Australia and beyond
University of Sydney: 17 March 2014

2. Acknowledgements
› Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
› Australian International Food Security
Research Centre (AIFSRC)
› Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade
› Crawford Fund
› Project partners in Tanzania, Zambia,
Lao PDR, Timor Leste, UK and Australia
› Forum sponsors: CPC, MBI and SSEAC
2

3. One Health
One Health is a comprehensive
approach to health that focuses on:
A. Improving health and well-being
through the prevention of risks and
the mitigation of effects of crises that
originate at the interface between
humans, animals and their various
environments.
B. Promoting multi (cross) sectoral
collaborations and a “whole of
society” treatment of health hazards,
as a systemic change of perspective
in the management of risk.

4. Types of undernutrition
Normal Wasting
Low weight for height
Underweight
Low weight for age
Stunting
Low height for age
Micronutrient deficiencies
(iron, vitamin A, iodine, zinc, etc)

5. Agriculture and human nutrition
› Recent reviews have shown little impact of agricultural interventions
on childhood nutrition (Masset et al. 2012)
› Stunting remains high in many countries despite increases in
agricultural production
› Stunting affects health, physical and cognitive development
capacity in children as well as productivity in adulthood
› 11% of gross national product in Africa and Asia lost annually due to
malnutrition
5

6. Current undernutrition data
- Stunting in Tanzania in children <5 years
42%
- Stunting in Zambia in children <5 years
45%
- Stunting in Lao PDR in children < 5 years
48%
- Stunting in Timor-Leste in children < 5 years
58%
6

7. Distribution of stunting in Zambia
7
N.B. Central Province:
*2nd highest rate of stunting
* High maize producing area
(NFNCZ 2012)

8. Tackling the most critical period
8(NFNCZ 2012)

9. Challenges: local conditions
Nutritional information for
breastfeeding women
Project environment in
dry season where
breastfeeding women live
The One Health paradigm can help to connect theory with practice to
deliver beneficial change to food and nutrition security
N.B. No electricity … no mobile phone network

10. In utero dietary requiements
Trimester
Nutrient requirements
Protein Micronutrients Energy
First +++ +++ +
Second ++ ++ ++
Third + + +++
Women reluctant to disclose pregnancy during first trimester
Therefore: crucial to ensure good nutrition for women of reproductive age

11. Challenges: seasonal variations
11
Event
Children's age as of March 2014 in Central Tanzania
0-6 mths 7-12 mths 13-18 mths 19-24 mths
Period of birth Sept'13-Mar'14 Mar-Sept'13 Sept'12-Mar'13 Mar-Sept'12
Period of
conception
Jan-Jun'13 Jul-Dec'12 Jan-Jun'12 Jul-Dec'11
Experienced hunger
period Jan-Mar'12
No No Yes - in utero Yes - in utero
Experienced hunger
period Jan-Mar'13
Yes - in utero Yes - in utero Yes Yes
Experienced hunger
period Jan-Mar'14
Yes Yes Yes Yes

12. A quick tour of some examples
Of taking a One Health approach
to improve food and nutrition
security
demonstrating the benefits of
collaboration across the USyd
campus and beyond
12

13. Strengthening food and nutrition security through family
poultry and crop integration in Tanzania and Zambia
Research aim
To reduce childhood
undernutrition by analysing and
testing opportunities to enhance
the key role that women play in
improving poultry and crop
integration and efficiency to
strengthen household nutrition.

14. Our Project Team
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Tanzania
Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre
Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Dar es Salaam University
Muhumbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Zambia
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
Ministry of Health (Public Health)
National Commission for Food and
Nutrition
University of Zambia
Australia
USyd School of Public Health
Nutritional epidemiologist
Biostatistician
USyd Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
Post harvest specialist
USyd Faculty of Veterinary Science
Vet Public Health Epidemiologist
Village poultry health and production specialist
International
Royal Veterinary College, London
One Health Economist
Veterinary Ecologist
KYEEMA Foundation
Social Anthropologist
Veterinary Laboratory and cold chain
specialist
Charles Perkins
Centre Food and
Nutrition Security
Project Node

15. Why village poultry?
In mixed farming systems in
Southern Africa:
› very few households own cattle
(~10-20%)
› some own small ruminants
(~30-40%), but
› most own village poultry
(70-80%)
Credit: Kyeema/Alders

16. Vital role in rural families …
› Village poultry provide:
- petty cash
- bioavailable protein &
micronutrients
- pest control (of
both plant & animal pests)
- manure for vegetable
gardens
- social credit – ceremonies
& rituals, &
- assets for women &
children
Credit: Kyeema/Alders

17. Eggceptional value!
› One egg contains:
- Energy - 315 kilojoules
- High quality protein – rich
in essential amino acids
- Vitamins including
Vit. A, B12, K & choline
- Minerals
› Sterile inside (usually)
› Easy to store
› Available most of year
› Easy & quick to cook
Credit: FAO/Alders

18. Gender
Research indicates that
resources under the
control of women are more
likely to be used to support
the education and nutrition
of children

19. Focusing on
sorghum,
millet
and
indigenous
vegetables
Credit: Kyeema/Bagnol
[rather than high
energy, low
nutrient diversity
hybrid maize]

20. Collaborative work in Lao PDR
› Honorary Prof Lester Burgess
› Improving durian production, and
› Improving village poultry
production to support:
- manure as a biofumigant
- food and nutrition security
Funding: Crawford Fund
20

21. Collaborative work in Timor-Leste
› Improved poultry and human health
› Timorese Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries; Ministry of Health; and
Ministry of Education
› USyd Public Health; Education and
Vet Science
› Australian Department of Agriculture
› Funding: USyd School of Public
Health, Department of Foreign
Affairs and Crawford Fund
21

22. Our challenges going forward
› How to achieve nutrition-sensitive agriculture in a
sustainable manner to meet a growing human
population?
› How to achieve ecologically-sensitive human
nutrition?
› How to encourage food value chains to support
good nutrition?

23. 23
Thank you for your attention
Thank you for your attention.

24. References
AVMA. 2008. One Health Initiative Task Force. "One Health: A New Professional Imperative". The
American Veterinary Medical Association. July 15, 2008.
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reports/Documents/onehealth_final.pdf
NFNCZ. 2012. The first 1000 most critical days: three year program. National Food and Nutrition
Commission of Zambia. Lusaka.
2013-2015FAO. 2009. The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Economic crises – impacts and lessons
learned. Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, Rome.
Girard A, Self J, McAuliffe C, Oludea O. 2012. The Effects of Household Food Production Strategies on
the Health and Nutrition Outcomes of Women and Young Children: A Systematic Review. Paediatric
and Perinatal Epidemiology 26 (Suppl. 1), 205–222.
Hawkes, C., Turner, R. and Waage, J. 2012. Current and planned research on agriculture for improved
nutrition: a mapping and a gap analysis. A report to the Department for International Development,
UK.
Kimboka, S. 2014. Child undernutrition in Tanzania. Strengthening food and nutrition security through
family poultry and crop integration in Tanzania and Zambia: Project Inception Workshop. Dar es
Salaam, 11-12 February 2014.
Masset E, Lawrence Haddad L, Cornelius A, Isaza-Castro, J. 2012. Effectiveness of agricultural
interventions that aim to improve nutritional status of children: systematic review. The British Medical
Journal 344:d8222.
Turk, J.M. (2013): Poverty, Livestock and Food Security in Developing Countries. CAB Reviews. 8, 033,
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