National Nutrition Agency with support from the World Food Program (WFP) on Saturday commence three-day training on basic nutrition, food fortification, and bio-fortification for building the capacity of media personnel
Ousman Dem NANA program manager
Highlights the importance of the training, he says,
“These are the three problems that we are currently grappling with. However, through the World Food Program support, we were able to develop our food fortification strategy, a national food fortification strategy. The objective of that was to address micronutrient deficits. But we know that we can not implement the strategy in the absence of communication tools”
“We have a third problem of micronutrient deficiencies. As he mentioned, this one is a hidden hunger. People can be micronutrient deficient, but you may not know. The three problems of micronutrient deficiencies or public importance are: We have vitamin A deficiency, which is very apparent. We also have iron deficiency anemia and iodine deficiency disorder.” Mr Dem.
Program Manager adds that,
” Studies have shown through the demographic health survey 2019 and the mixed multiple indication cluster survey of 2018,
that more than 50% of households in the Gambia have television and radio. And again, more than 50, it’s up to 70% of households in the urban areas have television. But also the same study has revealed that the use of social media is on the increase. People have access to smartphones, and if people have access to smartphones now yo,u are that group of people that can help us reach that target by using your different media outlets and platforms that you have.”
