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 !!!!