Pan-African Conference 21 - 24 July 2002 Inter-Continental Hotel ...

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Abstracts 10/22/02 11:26 AM Page 24 S24 health facility and community levels in Kenya. Within the university of Nairobi, Public health nutrition training is given to; undergraduate medical students, Post graduate Masters in Public health trainees and Senior health managers who annually undertake a short course in Applied Epidemiology. Different aspects of information technology are being utilized in training and conducting research with these groups. Various challenges have also been experienced. Linkage of the departmental computing network on a fulltime basis to the Internet has led to a significant improvement in the quality of teaching nutrition for all groups. This is mainly through improved access to the latest materials and information in the field of nutrition. The Internet is being used in conducting literature search for nutrition related research, assignments and thesis preparation and write up. Staff and Postgraduate students are utilizing nutrition software available -SPSS and EPI-INFO to prepare research instruments and to analyze data from community nutrition surveys. Access to the Internet has facilitated acquisition of up-to date nutrition materials (including CD’s) through ordering for publications or downloading. This opportunity is also being utilized to stock up the nutrition section of the departmental resource center with up-to- date nutrition materials. Individuals have also signed up with strategic organizations for notification of nutrition related meetings and new materials as they become available through the net. Constraints experienced have centered around increasing numbers of students vis a vis available facilities and lack of some crucial hardware to facilitate use of available nutrition related CD’s. ABSTRACT NO. 207. NUTRITION NETWORKING IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, 2002 Bukania ZN College of Agriculture and veterinary sciences, Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Applied Nutrition Programme University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053 Kabete Kenya Nutrition networking is when a group of people, organizations and institutions exchange information in the form of literature and data for professional purposes in the field of nutrition, health and diseases, using a chain of interconnected computers, or connected for a simultaneous broadcast of programmes in order to operate interactively. Nutrition issues, including promotion of food supply, nutritional conditions, and deficiencies in relation to health issues are widely experienced by private and public institutions as well as individuals. Organizations at community level, deal to a larger extent with the largest population and are able to identify basic causes of nutritional problems. On the other hand, institutions such as hospitals receive persons affected by nutritional deficiencies and diseases that require nutritional interventions. With networking through established nutrition programmes and databases, organizations at community level make available information and data on nutritional issues. This helps those at institutional level such as hospitals relate perceived conditions and the way they affect nutritional status of individuals and populations. Creating common websites to interlink institutions and organizations that deal with nutrition and health related issues will ensure that nutrition professionals have access to the latest research information and data of different regions. This kind of networking will allow professional interaction and sharing of experiences and this may allow inter-institutional training in the field of nutrition with a common aim solving nutrition related problems. ABSTRACT NO. 208. USE OF THE MALIAN FOOD COMPOSITION TABLE AND DATABASE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF EXCHANGE SOFTWARE TO USE IN WEST AFRICA COUNTRIES. Barikmo I 1 , Ouattara F 2 , Oshaug A 1 1 Akershus University College, Ringstadbekkv 105, 1356 Bekkestua, Norway, 2 Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Bamako, Mali The development of personal computers, software and Internet has opened up new possibilities for developing and using food composition databases. A new hard copy of Food Composition Table for Mali will be published in 2002. In connection to this a further development of the database management system and software with a user-friendly interface should continue. This is inadequately developed in West Africa. One of the challengers is how to use software and IT with an interface facilitate July 2002, Vol. 15, No. 2 SAJCN (Supplement) ABSTRACTS exchange and use of food composition data between researchers, teachers, organisations, public health workers, authorities and others working with food and nutrition security and assessment. Another challenger is how can food composition databases reflect the local nutrient variation of the different foods? A hard copy of a food table usually gives each food item an average value for the different nutrients, and at best indicating the variations. The food samples from Mali showed however such a big local variation for example in yellow maize, namely for iron 0.4mg/100g to 16.1mg/100g, that it is obvious that using an average of 5.5mg/100g will in most cases be wrong. A database for exchange should be linked to a software, accessible on the Internet, making it possible to develop a food composition table with the food items from a specific area (or different areas), adapted to the need of the users. This is a possible future development for the Malian Food Composition Database. ABSTRACT NO. 210. PAEDIATRICS DATABASE TO IMPROVE THE CLINICAL CARE AND RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL IN LUSAKA ZAMBIA Bhat G1 , Kankasa C1 , Campbell J1 , Tumeo R1 , Bwale J1 , Hirota M 2 , Mitchell C 3 , Klaskala W 3 1School of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital (UTH) P.O. Box 50110 Lusaka, Zambia 2 JICA PHC Project LDHMT Lusaka 3 University of Miami School of Medicine Miami, USA Over the past four years the paediatrics admissions at UTH in Lusaka Zambia have ranged from 21,185 to 24, 263 with an average hospital mortality of 16.4%. To improve the clinical care and access to research, a Paediatrics Patients Database (PPDB) was established in February 2000 in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Primary Health Care (PHC) project, Lusaka District Health Management Team (LDHMT), University of Zambia School of Medicine (SOM), and the University of Miami International Training in Medical Informatics (ITMI) program. A Medical Informatics Working Group (MIWG) was established to oversee the development of the PPDB. Twenty data entry persons have been trained in the computer usage and data entry of medical records; A server and five work stations in conjunction with the establishment of a local area network (LAN) at the UTH paediatrics wing are currently being utilized as part of the PPDB in order to accomplish the goals set by the MIWG. Two supervisory staff members were trained for six months and one more staff member is currently being trained in the USA. The PPDB has resulted in providing three feedback reports to the community health centers through the LDHMT-JICA PHC. Record keeping and access to basic health information has improved and there has been a slight reduction in hospital mortality from year 2000 (17.1%) to year 2002 (15.5%), however this is not statistically significant. All collaborating partners are committed to strengthening the PPDB to improve child survival in Zambia. ABSTRACT NO. 211. INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECH- NOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR DELIVERY OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AMONGST RURAL COMMUNITIES IN KENYA Wagah Margaret Akinyi Department of Educational Communication &Technology, Kenyatta University, P.O Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya Despite the glaring fact that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is spreading rapidly worldwide, there is still a conspicuous gap between the information have’s in the North and the information have not’s in the South, and this gap is seemingly affecting a every aspect of socio-economic development and health and nutrition has not been spared. Indeed, utilization of ICT amongst professionals in health and nutrition as tools of communicating health and nutrition messages is dismal. Worse still, utilization of ICT amongst local communities is non-existent. Amongst professionals and para-professionals alike, ICT remains abstractive. Worse still, it is out of reach for the rural populations whose major preoccupation remains the struggle for basic needs as food. To talk of an ICT to an impoverished rural Kenyan is to talk of an idea whose time has not yet come. Yet it’s now becoming increasingly clear that the benefits of ICT as a
Abstracts 10/22/02 11:26 AM Page 25 communication tool is insurmountable. According to a report by IDRC (1997), knowledge is key to sustainable development hence improvements in human well-being depends on its production, its distribution, ownership and wise application. ICT is clearly a vehicle through which all communities and professionals can strive to attain sustainable development. Further, ICT has a great potential in connecting nations, countries and communities on a global scale. But while talk on benefits of ICT continues unabated, one factor that is abundantly clear is that the food and nutrition situation in sub-Saharan Africa is wanting. Overall, trend analysis show declining nutritional status while the food security status is equally cutting. Despite efforts and interventions towards achieving nutrition and food security, little evidence by way of improvement is underway. What then should be the way out? The big challenge now is on nutrition knowledge management. How to take ICT to communities in a manner that will address their nutritional needs will be critical to this discussion paper. Of course, it is needless to say that this proposed discussion would be the first of its kind in this country to determine how application of ICT can address nutritional problems in society. As well, this discussion paper believes that the university professionals can longer remain distanced from community development rather they are capable of transforming communities by designing, packaging and disseminating appropriate nutrition messages using information technologies in a stimulating, user friendly, culturally acceptable and effective manner. At the moment however, it is sad to note that local communities are not in a position to access relevant and appropriate nutrition education and information in an interactive manner. This paper will therefore offer a critique on utilization of ICT for community nutrition, but most importantly, it will propose how ICT’s set up in rural communities can enhance nutritional knowledge and consequently nutritional well-being. ABSTRACT NO. 214. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS PERTAINS TO FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION IN EASTERN NIGERIA Nneoma Elechi Nyelucheya Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia, State, Nigeria This paper reviews information technology as an essential tool necessary for research and development in every civilized society. It also considers the benefits of adequate exploitation of information technology in good science and nutrition in Nigeria, such as the enhancement of technological advancement, enablement of effective processing and preservation of our abundant food products, and the control of nutrition related diseases. It also considers the unfortunate situation in the eastern part of our country where most universities and research institutes lack computers and subsequently are not linked to the Internet. Also electronic and other journals that have needed information are not available. Subsequently experiments/researchers are repeated and often with outdated methodologies. This also leads to lack of continuity of researches. Finally, this paper also considers possible solutions to these problems. These include the need to organize workshops and seminars on the necessity of information technology in Food Science and related fields, seeking of foreign aids, and getting the government sensitized on the need to adequately fund the acquisition of information technology in these. ABSTRACT NO. 217. INTERNATIONAL MICRONUTRIENT EDITION OF CDCYNERGY: A GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION PLANNING L’édition internationale de micro nutriment CDCynergy: un guide de planification de la communication Anderson, B 1 Bobrow EA 1 , Parvanta I 1 , Parvanta C 2 , Brandon V 2 , Cole G 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity 1 and the Office of Communication 2 , 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-25, Atlanta, GA 30341 USA CDCynergy is a CD-Rom based tool that provides a systematic framework for planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating health communication programs within a public health context. The International Micronutrient Edition of CDCynergy contains a basic planning framework with a tutorial which provides written and video instructions plus six case studies adapted from international micronutrient communication projects conducted by various agencies (vitamin A supplementation, salt iodization, folic acid fortification, iron supplementation, dietary improvement and multinutrient supplementation), a media library with materials from the highlighted ABSTRACTS programs, documents and research publications, and a planning workbook. Users are guided through 6 phases: 1) Problem Definition and Description (descriptive epidemiology used to define scope and severity); 2) Problem Analysis (analytic epidemiology utilized to examine at-risk populations and causal factors); 3) Identifying and Profiling Audiences (based on research); 4) Developing Communication Strategies and Tactics (to test concepts, messages and materials); 5) Developing an Evaluation Plan (to integrate evaluation with the overall program); and 6) Launch/Feedback. This product is unique in the world of health communication planning tools in several regards, since it demonstrates the linkage between descriptive epidemiology, analytical epidemiology, program planning, and evaluation, it does not assume that communication will be the dominant intervention, it provides examples of how different countries planned their program, conducted and interpreted formative research, produced media and evaluated results, it places program documents, real media, and reference materials on a CD-Rom, and, it features international program managers and scientists in a manner that will motivate others to strive for excellence. ABSTRACT NO. 221. NESTLE NUTRITION INSTITUTE AFRICA: CPD INITIATIVE de Beer Anne-Marie 1 , Blaauw R 2 1 Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa, South Africa 2 University of Stellenbosch, South Africa The cornerstone of any profession is the continual pursuit of knowledge and skills. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is education and training undertaken beyond the requirements for entry into that profession. CPD is important to maintain and enhance the image of professionals who are credible, responsible and accountable for maintaining high standards of professional practice. It offers members opportunities to move from their present level of practice to a higher level of practice through planned professional growth. New legislation in South Africa requires that health professionals (dietitians and medical practitioners) registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) needs to comply with certain guidelines regarding CPD in order to remain registered and be allowed to practice their professions. Nestlé South Africa, through the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA), participated in the CPD activities for dietitians and medical practitioners registered with the HPCSA since September 2001. The CPD initiative consists of two different methods, the first of which have already been implemented. All registered dietitians and selective specialist groups of medical practitioners have received articles, with questionnaires accredited for CPD points, by post. After studying the articles, the completed questionnaires have to be send back for marking. Up to the end of February 2002, approximately 550 dietitians and 58 medical practitioners have already participated in one or more of these activities. The overall feedback is very positive and appreciative of the opportunities provided to them. Furthermore we now have a database of who have access to the Internet and are using it. Of all our respondents 33% of the dietitians and 72% of the medical practitioners are using their Internet and email facilities. Points allocation is accredited in hours spend on the particular activity. The aim is to provide 24 points for the dietitians per year and 18 for the medical practitioners this varies between a 1/3 rd and half of the points required per year by the health worker to stay registered with the Health professionals council. Secondly, new articles will be added to the Nestlé nutrition website (www.nestlenutrition.co.za) every second month as of April 2002. The topics will alternate between clinical and paediatric nutrition. Participation to the latter CPD venture will be by registering on the website free of charge. The practitioner can download the articles and when ready, the questionnaire can be completed directly on the website. Feedback on the answers will be provided immediately. We trust that health professionals will benefit from this system, not only by obtaining the necessary CPD points, but also by their own professional growth. ABSTRACT NO. 222. Computer-aided learning in disadvantaged communities in the Southern Cape and Karoo: A nutrition education initiative Venter I 1 , Marais D 2 , De Muynk R 3 , Shedden A 3 1Department of Food and Nutrition, School of Life Sciences, Cape Technikon, PO Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa 2Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of S25
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Pan-African Conference 21 - 24 July 2002 Inter-Continental Hotel ...

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