Manoja Kumar Das of the INCLEN Trust International in India will determine the optimal dose of traditional fermented rice-water (pakhala/torani) to improve the nutritional status and the gut and vaginal microbiomes in women of reproductive age in Odisha, India, to promote maternal health. They will provide different rice types and fermentation protocols for households to prepare torani and also prepare it in the laboratory and evaluate its stability and nutritional and microbial content.
Nutrition
Heather Jaspan of the University of Cape Town in South Africa will conduct a randomized controlled trial of post-partum South African mothers to determine whether unpasteurized mageu is more nutritious and promotes a healthier gut microbiome than pasteurized mageu, which is more commonly consumed. Mageu is a common grain-based fermented porridge used as a weaning food in infants and as an energy drink in adults. It is generally produced in pasteurized form, which may inactive the live bacteria that can boost health.
Laeticia Celine Toe of Institut de Recherches en Sciences de la Santé in Burkina Faso will evaluate the nutritional content of traditionally-fermented millet porridge and its effects on gut health and inflammation in women of reproductive age in rural Burkina Faso. Maternal undernutrition affects child survival and is a major problem in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. This could be addressed by enhancing the nutritional content of common foods, which can be done by fermentation.
Syed Asad Ali and colleagues of Aga Khan University in Pakistan will perform a clinical trial to test whether traditional fermented pickles (achars) reduce gut inflammation and promote healthy bacterial growth in women of reproductive age from the poor rural Matiari district in Pakistan, to help reduce rates of childhood stunting. Key drivers of childhood stunting are poor maternal health and nutrition, which could be improved by regular ingestion of fermented foods, although this has never been tested in a real-life setting.
Current methods for detection of malnutrition use physical attributes but not nutrient level. Proposed device relates to technique for rapid quantification of multiple clinically important nutrients in biological fluids for timely interventions. The 3-tiered solution proposes: 1. Colorimetry based estimation of multi-nutrients on single test strip 2. Accurate quantification by a smartphone app 3. Cloud based data collection and analytical reporting for establishing PoC diagnosis.
In Peru, half of children younger than 2 years old have anemia 1,2. Anemia is associated with cognitive and psychomotor delay 3,4. In 2015, the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA) implemented a micronutrient supplementation program to reduce anemia, but was unsuccessful according to recent indicators. Anemia in children is associated with poor breastfeeding habits, low intake of iron-rich foods, an absence of proper hygiene practices, and the lack of follow-up treatment by health personnel.
QFS builds off a proprietary microencapsulation technology to quadruple the fortification of salt with iron, folic acid, B12 and iodine. QFS' design is based on the proven premise that the deficiencies of iodine, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 pose a significant health risk, and that deficiencies of these specific micronutrients are especially harmful to women of childbearing age, and are a major contributing factor to both maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
This model leverages women's social networks to extend supply chain at the last mile in delivery of enhanced complementary foods to mothers of children aged 6-24 months. Bulky enhanced commercially available complementary food is hygienically re-packaged to small quantities, and sold door to door by trained women entrepreneurs. The women entrepreneurs train mothers on proper food nutrition and age-appropriate complementary foods.
Iron deficiency is a major contributor to maternal death, that can be addressed by improving the iron status of women through iron fortification. Unfortunately, iron forms foul-tasting, coloured and non-biodegradable complexes with polyphenols in tea. We have developed technology that adds bioavailable iron to tea. We have shown the process to be effective in-vitro, and in-vivo. The proposed project is the critical first step in a comprehensive plan for large scale implementation of this technology.
7.5% children under age 5 develop severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in urban India (1). SAM reduces chances of survival [mortality rate: 73-187 per 1000 (2)], hinders optimal physical growth and is associated with sub optimal brain development leading to long lasting negative impact on cognitive ability, school performance and future earnings. Lack of access to crucial lifesaving information for caregivers during acute inpatient treatment and later during rehabilitation at home leads to relapse.