Why Ivory Coast?
Ivory Coast is a developing country located in the South of East Africa and has a population of more than 22 million people (RGPH, 2014). According to estimates, 15% of the population suffers from moderate food insecurity (FSIN, 2019), a stressful state in which households consume just the bare needs of food.
Malnutrition in all its manifestations is the underlying cause of about 45% of yearly mortality among children under the age of five in Côte d'Ivoire (ICDSG, 2007).
In 2005, la Communauté Économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest reported that 42% of children were at risk of vitamin A deficiency (VM Aguayo, 2005). Research has shown that wasting and being underweight are health-related issues that are extremely alarming in Ivory Coast.
Moreover, in 2014, anaemia prevalence was higher than the WHO criterion (Rohner et al, 2014; WHO/UNICEF/United Nations University, 2001) and affected more than 67% of preschool-age children and women (McLean et al, 2009). These are urgent issues which causes are related to deficiencies in key micronutrients such as vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin A.
Sources:
RGPH (2014). Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat : Principaux Résultats Préliminaires (General).
FSIN (2019). Global Report on Food Crises: Joint Analysis for Better Decisions. 2019. Available at: http://www.fsinplatform.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/GRFC_2019-Full_Report.pdf
The International Child Development Steering Group (2007). « Child Development Series », The Lancet, vol. 369, pp. 60-70, 145-157 et 229-242.
Aguayo VM & Baker SK (2005) Vitamin A deficiency and child survival in sub-Saharan Africa: a reappraisal of challenges and opportunities. Food Nutr Bull 26, 348–355.
Rohner, F., Northrop-Clewes, C., Tschannen, A. B., Bosso, P. E., Kouassi-Gohou, V., Erhardt, J. G., ... & Mascie-Taylor, C. N. (2014). Prevalence and public health relevance of micronutrient deficiencies and undernutrition in pre-school children and women of reproductive age in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa. Public Health Nutrition, 17(9), 2016-2028.
World Health Organization/UNICEF/United Nations University (2001) Iron Deficiency Anaemia: Assessment, Prevention and Control. A Guide for Programme Managers, WHO/NHD/01.3. Geneva: WHO.
McLean E, Cogswell M, Egli I et al. (2009) Worldwide prevalence of anaemia, WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System, 1993–2005. Public Health Nutr12, 444–454.