AGENCY FOR ItJTERNATICNAL DEVELOPMENT FOR AID USE ONLY WASHINGTON, 0. C. 20323 BIBLIOGRAPHIC INPUT SHEET i.t',j,JE,.r A.Public S.ISAAR f Health f.1 A',SI. I I CAT ION u. , C' IjARY Nutr it ion 2. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Proceedings of the Third African Conference on Nutrition and Child Feeding 3. AUTHOR(S) Conference on Nutrition and Child Feeding. 3d, Tunis, Tunisia, 1970 4. DOCUMENT DATE 5. NUMBER OF PAGES I6. ARC NUMBER 1970I 420 p. ARC 7. REFERENCE ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Washlnqton, D.C. 2020 1 8. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES (Sponsorlng Organization, Pubtlihers, Availability) Free copies available in English and French from: Agency for International Development, Office of Nutrition, Washington, D.C. 20523 9. ABSTRACT The Third African Conference on Nutrition and Child Feeding, held in Tunis, May 25-29, 1970, was sponsored by the Republic of Tunisia and USAID, with participation of the FAQ, UNICEF, the UN Development Program, and the WHO. The conference activities recorded in these proceedings include country reports on nutrition in Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Kinshasa, Gabon, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia, and the United States. Also included are thematic presentations and committee reports on nutrition and health, nutrition and agriculture, nutrition and child feeding, nutrition and education, nutrition and industry, and coordination of nutrition programs. The general discussions which followed the thematic presentations reflect the sharp focus of attention on such key questions as health and mental development, the relative importance of food crops versus cash crops, the value of nutrition surveys in providing a basis for agricultural and trade policies, the enormous need for nutrition education, and the critical need for coordination of nutritional and agricultural policies. Recommendations generated by conference participants include these: That governments organize new services for prevention of childhood malnutrition, and reinforce existing services; that they take steps to integrate the science of nutrition into agricultural programs; that they recognize the importance of food crops for national health and development; that they integrate infant nutrition into preventive medicine, and conduct surveys of the nutritional needs of children, by age group and region; that they encourage breastfeeding as the only nursing method that provides total hygenic security; that they encourage the spacing of births; that they institute new programs of nutrition education; that they inventory local foods with a view toward their use in preparation of weaning foods; that they establish agencies to control prices and quality of foods; that they study -the nutritive value and acceptability of industrial bv-p) oducts 10. that could provide CONTROL NUMBER 11. PRICE OF DOCUMENT PN-AAC-675 - In English POh-.AAr-l7A i h _rr 2. DESCRIPTO-S 13. PROJECT NUMBER Children Meetings Diets 14. CONTRACT NUMBER Government policies PACqA AFR(HA)-8-70 15. TYPE OF DOCUMENT AID 590-1 (4-74) PN-AAC-675; PN-AAC-676 continued nutritious foods at low prices; and that they give high priority to creating an inter­ ministerial coordinating mechanism to conduct nutrition budget and consumption surveys, nutrition education, food technology improvement, and improved planning in food economics. Proceedings of the THIRD AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON NUTRITION AND CHILD FEEDING Tunis, Tunisia May 25-29, 1970 Sponsored by The Republic of Tunisia and The United States of America Agency for International Development With the Participation of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The United Nations Children's Fund The United Nations Development Program The World Health Organization U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE IIEALTH SERVICES AND MENTAL IiEALTI ADMINISTRATION CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL ATLANTA, GEORGIA 0333 This Conference was planned and organized and the proceedings were prepared by the Nutrition Program of the Center for Disease Control, HSMHA, Department of Health, Education and Welfare (under Participating Agency Service Agreement No. AFR (HA) 08-70), with the assistance of the A.I.D. Mission in Tunis. ii Left: The Honorable Chedll Ayarl, Secretary of State for Planning for Tunisia, presenting the theme "Nutri­ tion and Coordination." Above: Left to right, Dr. Zouhar Kalial, Director of the National Instituto of Nutrition of Tunisia, The Honorable Driss Gulga, Minister of Public Health for Tunisia, and The Honorable Mir Khan, representative of the United Natirns Development Program. Below: 7 he committees In session. iii Ab/ slow­ 4dbg-E TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduc tion vii Program viii List of Delegates xii Conference Organizers xx Conference Recommendations 1 Opening Ceremonies Welcoming Address -- The Honorable Driss Guiga 3 Welcoming Address -- The Honorable Edward Mulcahy 5 Keynote Address -- Dr. Zouhair Kallal 7 Country Reports _S Nutrition in Algeria 12 Nutrition in Burundi 16 Nutrition in Cameroon 40 Nutrition in the Central African Republic 70 Nutrition in Chad 97 Nutrition in the Congo (Kinshasa) 105 Nutrition in Gabon 127 Nutrition in Morocco 168 Nutrition in Rwanda 194 Nutrition in Tunisia 210 Nutrition in the United States 265 Thematic Presentations Nutrition and Health -- Dr. Julien Mezu 270 General Discussion 278 Nutrition and Agriculture -- Dr. Julien Perisse 289 General Discussion 312 Nutrition and Child Feeding -- Dr. Mohamed Seffar 314 General Discussion 326 Nutrition and Education -- The Honorable Frangois Kisamare 330 General Discussion 344 v Nutrition and Industry -- Dr. Samir Miladi 353 General Discussion 363 Nutrition and Coordination -- The Honorable Chedli Ayari 366 General Discussion 376 Committee Reports Committee on Nutrition and Health 382 Committee on Nutrition and Agriculture 384 Committee on Nutrition and Child Feeding 386 Committee on Nutrition and Education 388 Committee on Nutrition and Industry 391 Committee on Nutrition and Coordination 393 Closing Ceremonies 395 Annex Cereal Enrichment -- Dr. Aaron Altschul 397 vi INTRODUCTION The Third African Conference on Nutrition and Child Feeding confirmed the interest of African governments in nutrition and showed an increased awareness of the importance of the nutrition triangle: - Correct nutrition is the basis of good health; - Good health is the basis of productivity; - Productivity is the key to orderly social and economic development. The conveners were gratified to see the importance which the participating governments accorded to the conference reflected in the high level of the delegates who were sent. It was the first time that cabinet ministers attended a seminar of this kind and participated actively in the discussions, seeking information in fields different from but related to their own and bareing with complete candor and sincerity the problems they were confronted with in discharging their duties. As the following pages will show, each delegation had pre­ pared an in-depth report on the nutritional status of its country. The general discussions which followed the thematic presentations reflected the sharp focus of atten­ tion on key questions, sach as health and mental develop­ ment, the relative importance of food crops versus cash crops, the value of nutrition surveys in providing the basis for agricultural and trade policies, the enormous need for nutrition education, and the essentiality of coordination. As U.S. Convener of the Conference, I am pleased to seize the occasion of this introduction to thank once more the distinguished delegates for the frankness of their views and the forcefulness of their expression. Jacques M. May, M.D. vii PROGRAM Monday, May 25, 1970 Morning Session Opening Ceremonies Welcoming Addresses The Honorable Driss Guiga Minister of Public Health, Republic of Tunisia The Honorable Edward Mulcahy, Charge d'Affaires American Embassy, Tunis Keynote Address Dr. Zouhar Kallal, Director National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Tunisia Presentation of Country Reports Chairman: The Honorable Pierre Djime, Tchad Report on Nutrition in Algeria Report on Nutrition in Burundi Report on Nutrition in Cameroon Report on Nutrition in the Central African Republic Report on Nutrition in Chad Report on Nutrition in the Congo Afternoon Session Continuation of Country Presentations Chairman: The Honorable Frangois Kisamare, Burundi Report on Nutrition in Gabon Report on Nutrition in Morocco Report on Nutrition in Rwanda Report on Nutrition in Tunisia Report on Nutrition in the United States Discussion viii Tuesday, May 26: 1970 Morning Session Presentation of Themes Chairman: Professor Amor Chedli, Tunisia "Nutrition and Health" Dr. Julien Mezu, Director National School of Public Health, Gabon General Discussion "Nutrition and Agriculture" Dr. Julien Perisse, Nutrition Division Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome General Discussion Afternoon Session Continuation of Theme Presentations Chairman: Dr. Hadj Lakhal, Algeria "Nutrition and Child Feeding Programs" Dr. Mohamed Seffar, Director of Cabinet Ministry of Public Health, Morocco General Discussion "Nutrition and Education" The Honorable Frangois Kisamare Minister of Education, Burundi General Discussion Evening Government of the United States Reception for the Delegates Residence of the USAID Director, Mr. Stuart Baron ix Wednesday, May 27, 1970 Morning Session Continuation of Theme Presentations Chairman: Dr. Meke-Me-Ze, Cameroon "Nutrition