FEED THE FUTURE FOOD SECURITY INNOVATION LABS: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
COUNCIL MEETING, MARCH 5 – 7, 2013
PULSE INNOVATION LAB: EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH THE PULSE CRSP
THEOBALD C.E. MOSHA
SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
THE PULSE CRSP
• CRSP has gone through an evolution for the past 35 years
- Bean CRSP - Bean Cowpea CRSP - Pulse CRSP - Soon will be Pulse Innovation Lab. • All these CRSPs have focused on a number of
research areas, including utilization of beans/cowpeas/pulses to improve the nutritional status of communities
• The major health problems in Tanzania are Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among children under the age of five
Pulse CRSP
• Pulse CRSP supported research to address these nutritional problems
• Our research team designed research that would help to ameliorate and reduce the problem of malnutrition
• Researches designed were 1. Rehabilitation - undernourished children using
bean-based supplementary foods 2. School snack program – crackers for school-age
children 3. Nutrition support - immune compromised (HIV+)
children
Pulse CRSP
• Build the capacity to produce RUTF supplementary foods
• Reduce maternal workload, safe, convenient
• Through Pulse CRSP, we acquired an Extruder
Extruder
Extruder
Extruder
Hammer mill
Mixer for micronutrients
Packaging
Packaged bean-base, fortified food
Food stocks
Rehabilitation of Undernourished children
• Children who received the bean-based supplementary foods improved significantly within 14 – 21 days
• Their weights growth patterns returned to normal within a short time
• Linear growth did not improved much in this short intervention period, remained stunted
• Wasting disappeared
Mothers at RCH Clinic
Weighing the children
Measuring Hb
School snack program • Children usually do not get lunch at school
• Biscuits were developed from composite of cassava flour and beans
• Biscuits were fortified
• Children received four biscuits (90 g) daily
• Results
1. Significant improvement in school/class attendance
2. Attention span in classes increased
3. Afternoon school/class delinquency decreased
4. Nutritional status of children improved
5. Iron status went to normal – 76% were anemic initially
Cassava-bean composite biscuits
Nutrition Support of HIV+ Children • Composite products were developed from
1. Beans
2. Cowpeas
• HIV+ children were given nutrition support through the government care system (CTC)
• Children received a 130 g supplement daily capable of providing 100% of RDA for micronutrients, 60% of protein, 60% of calories
Cowpeas
Sorting cowpeas
HIV+ Children
• Evaluation
1. Anthropometric
2. Iron status
3. Biomarkers of immune integrity
CTC Center
Blood collection
Blood collection
Anthropometric measurements
Field work – can be tiresome!
Humanitarian part of the Pulse CRSP
• Our research involves interventions with intention to TREAT
• Distributed significant amount of food to children e.g. HIV study – 876,000 kg of food is distributed per year
• Lives of thousands of children have improved, saved
Humanitarian part of the Pulse CRSP
Humanitarian Part of the Pulse CRSP
Capacity building
• 14 students in MS Nutrition and Food Science received research support from Pulse CRSP
• 60 Undergraduate students in Food Science and Nutrition received field practical support for periods of 5 weeks
• 1 PhD in Human Nutrition
Challenges
• Financial – not always enough, inflation rate
• Leveraging funds – limited, sometimes limits useful modifications in the basic research
Conclusion
• Thanks for the cooperation and support we received from the Pulse CRSP for the past 23 years of working with them.
• These years have built us from young scientists into strong, experienced professional researchers
• Thanks for your attention !!!!