Nestle Holds Nutrition Seminar For Health Professionals

In a bid to combat infant and maternal mortality, Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA) in collaboration with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, recently organised a three-day Advanced Nutrition Programme for Anglophone countries.

The theme of the programme, “Maternal and infant nutrition: First 1000 days of life”, was discussed by local and international speakers including Prof James Renner, Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Prof Andrew Prentice, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Prof Onike Rodrigues, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Accra; Prof Selina N. Okolo, Jos University Teaching Hospital; Prof Samuel I. Omokhodion, University College Hospital and Dr Chinyere Ezeaka, Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

Over 50 health professionals from leading paediatric care institutions drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia attended the event.

The programme leader, Prof James Renner, Professor of Paediatrics at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, who is also a board member of NNIA said that under nutrition is a leading cause of death among young children worldwide. He presented scientific evidence indicating that nutritional disturbances in the first 1,000 days of life may result in metabolic syndrome, consisting of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

Human lactation, low birth weight, deficiencies, probiotics in nutrition, WHO Code directives and complementary feeding practices were discussed by the various facilitators. The latest research, statistics and developments in maternal and infant nutrition were also presented.

In addition, the health care professionals also engaged in daily group work activities discussing general aspects of nutrition, nutrition in sick children, epigenetic factors before and during pregnancy to further inculcate the new knowledge they had received.

The Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa is a multi-disciplinary, educational organisation dedicated to the science of nutrition for people of all ages. The institute provides information, guidance and support to use the latest scientific discoveries and their application to achieve optimal nutrition. It aims for a future where people across Africa are living longer and healthier.

—Henry Ojelu