AKU Newsletters Publications

eCommons@AKU AKU Newsletters Publications 7-1-2008 AKU Newsletter : July 2008, Volume 9, Issue 1 Aga Khan University Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.aku.edu/aku_newsletter Recommended Citation Aga Khan University, "AKU Newsletter : July 2008, Volume 9, Issue 1" (2008). AKU Newsletters. Book 7. http://ecommons.aku.edu/aku_newsletter/7 THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY Newsletter JULYJULY 20082008 Vol.Vol. 9,9, No.No. 11 Education First IED, East Africa. At the same time, they have secured a matching contribution of Cdn$ 5 million from the Canadian International Development Agency; the remaining Cdn$ 15 million are to be raised by AKU and other donors. IED will solidify Aga Khan University’s efforts to improve the quality of education in East Africa by building the skills and capacity of teachers and school administrators. For without competent teachers, school infrastructure such as Chris Robb, Brian Felesky and Jim Gray with students of Ali Hassan Mwinyi buildings, desks and books Primary School mean little.“Africa is the world's poorest region,” says Tin-roofed huts dot the road to the town centre in Professor Gordon MacLeod, former director of the Zanzibar. Groups of children run out of the shacks Institute in Dar es Salaam. The only solution for to wave at the bus passing through lush green fields eradicating poverty and hopelessness is education. “One dotted with palms. The travellers, a group of extra year of schooling for a girl can dramatically affect Canadian businessmen on a visit to Kenya, Uganda her learning capacity and her health,” he pointed out. and Tanzania, are pensive in response. Uganda and the other East African nations adopted The contrast between their country and this place is the UN goal of universal primary education – getting stark. Canada ranks fourth on the UN Human all young children in school – 10 years ago. Statistics Development Index. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania rank show that the primary school enrolment rate is high but 148, 154 and 159 respectively. Poverty, lack of education declines rapidly towards secondary school. For Kenya, and poor infrastructure impede progress. In Canada, the for example, the net primary enrolment rate was 79 per average income per person is US$ 33,375. In Uganda, cent in 2005 while the secondary enrolment rate was 42 with the highest per capita income in East Africa, it is per cent in the same year, almost half. The average US$ 1,454. Kenya's per capita income is even lower at teacher in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania earns about US$ 1,240 and in Tanzania, it is a dismal US$ 744. US$ 100 a month after taxes. Schools are under-funded Recognising the need for sustainable development and some are forced to shut down. in the region, a group of Canadian businessmen have IED’s student teachers are benefiting from these started the Awali – which means ‘beginning’ in Swahili efforts to invest in quality professional development. – project. Awali’s founding members, Jim Gray, Brian They feel that they are able to communicate more Felesky, Chris Robb, Ruth Ramsden-Wood and Sherali effectively with children through innovative and creative Saju, have pledged to support AKU’s Institute for teaching methods, and some teachers are able to assist Educational Development (IED), East Africa in Dar es in school improvement, for instance, by sharing their Salaam, Tanzania. IED aims to be a centre of excellence experiences with other teachers in the school. in educational and educator professional development Brian Felesky emphasises that supporting education complementing government initiatives to improve the in the under-developed regions of the world is essential quality of education in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. for the global business community. “Education reduces The group was visiting East Africa to see first-hand the poverty, and if you don't (take) care of poverty abroad, results of their efforts. poverty comes to us in the form of violence and The Awali group have committed to raising Cdn$ other desperations,” says Felesky. “This is absolutely 5 million towards the Cdn$ 25 million total cost of vital work.” 2 Hungry for Life The University’s Department of Paediatrics and Child Health identified a gap in understanding the determinants and interventions for maternal and childhood mortality, mustered a global research team and funding to analyse the issue and developed strategies to manage the problem. The findings on maternal and childhood undernutrition, given the current global food crisis, received widespread media and public health attention. Each year around the world, close to 10 million children played a lead role in developing the concept to study die before reaching their the issue and fifth birthday – and almost obtained the funding a third of them from hunger for it. Over 18 and undernutrition. Of months, AKU the half million annual researchers maternal deaths, many are coordinated six related to maternal groups in various undernutrition and anaemia centres of excellence and the subsequent birth of in Pakistan, UK, a small, undernourished Brazil, USA, baby. Bangladesh and India Some children die to undertake an simply because they do not extensive review of have enough to eat, others interventions with are too weak to resist and the potential to recover from common alleviate diseases like diarrhoea. undernutrition. The Those who do survive have findings were been so deprived of published in a nutrition during their critical landmark series of developmental years that five research articles they do less well at school in The Lancet in the and poorly later in life, early part of this year. reducing their economic Startling facts potential. Lower income, appeared from these poor health and reduced analyses: access to proper nutrition Poor breastfeeding then continue to impact the and vitamin A and health of children born into zinc deficiencies future generations, leading were responsible for to a repetitive cycle of more than one-third poverty. Four-fifths of these of all under-five child undernourished children Four-fifths of undernourished children live in just 20 countries deaths. In fact, the belong to just 20 countries window of across Asia and Africa, with half of them living in South opportunity for preventing undernutrition is from the Asia alone. Undernutrition may be the result of a poor moment a child is conceived to two years of age. diet with insufficient nutrients – but its effects are far- Poor growth in the womb, stunting and severe wasting reaching. in the first two years of life cause irreparable harm by Researchers from the University’s Paediatrics and impeding physical growth and – if followed by rapid Child Health Department, led by Professor Zulfiqar A. weight gain in the 3-5 year age range – significantly Bhutta, noticed the lack of knowledge on undernutrition, increasing the risk of chronic diseases later in life. 3 A short stature and iron deficiency anaemia increase the risk of death for the mother at delivery. Maternal undernutrition, including chronic energy and micronutrient deficiencies, is prevalent in many regions of the world especially in south-central Asia where 10 per cent to 19 per cent of women are undernourished. It is a serious problem in sub-Saharan Africa, south-central and south-eastern Asia and in Yemen where it affects 20 per cent of mothers and a critical issue in India, Bangladesh and Eritrea where 40 per cent of women are undernourished. The nutritional status of a woman before and during pregnancy is important for a pregnancy to end well. But many of these deaths can be prevented through simple solutions. “Of the available interventions, counselling about breastfeeding, supplementation with vitamin A and zinc and appropriate management of severe acute malnutrition has the greatest potential to reduce the burden of maternal and child morbidity and mortality,” Professor Bhutta explains. Other solutions include supplementation of iron, Professor Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, bringing global attention to undernutrition micronutrients, iodine and calcium for pregnant women, universal salt Given the high burden iodisation and of maternal and child education about Given the high burden of undernutrition and essential hand maternal and child mortality, and the recent washing and hygiene food crisis and price practices for children. undernutrition and mortality, and inflation, the solutions The authors estimate suggested are of special that universal the recent food crisis and price relevance for coverage with a full developing countries. package of proven inflation, the solutions suggested Research and advocacy interventions could followed by solid action prevent about one- are of special relevance for can make a difference quarter of child deaths to the lives of millions under 36 months of developing countries. of malnourished age and reduce the women and children prevalence of stunting worldwide. at three years by about one-third. In collaboration with UNICEF and the Government of The findings have led to a number of international Pakistan, the University will host the launch of the initiatives with revitalisation of national nutrition undernutrition series coupled with a review of the strategies in many key target countries including India, national nutrition strategy in 2008; a similar launch Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, South Africa and Peru. is planned for Kenya in 2009. 4 Building on Strengths, Creating Bridges – William Doe, Provost There are many well-established and older universities As a researcher with over 160 research publications in worldwide. What attracted you to AKU? international scientific journals, how do you intend to Ever since I went to New Guinea as a student, I have align your research interests with your activities at the been interested in research that aims to drive forward University? improvements in health and health care in developing As a specialist physician also trained in basic science, countries. This interest has been heightened by several I divided my time between clinic and laboratory for short-term consultancies for the World Health many years.

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