Dhr. Melaku Umeta Deressa : Role of zinc in stunting of infants and children in rural Ethiopia

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17 Mar 2003 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen

 Melaku Umeta, who works at the Ethiopian Health and Research Institute in Addis Ababa, has studied the role of zinc in stunting (being too short for one’s age) in a rural in Ethiopia where more than one third of infants aged 5-11 months were stunted. When supplemented with zinc daily for 6 months, the infants increased length and weight and the effect was much greater in stunted children. Zinc supplementation also lowered the incidence of anorexia and morbidity from cough, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting in stunted children. When followed up 3 years later, the gains in height and weight had all but disappeared. The diets of the rural Ethiopians are relatively high in zinc but because of the high content of phytate and tannins, the bioavailability of zinc from most foods is low. Therefore, stunted children in Ethiopia would appear to require a continuous supply of zinc to maintain adequate health and growth. Policies and strategies need to be developed to address the high prevalence of stunting among children because stunting is a major barrier to people in rural Ethiopia reaching their full potential. Melaku Umeta was supervised by Professor C.E. West and Professor J.G.A.J. Hautvast of the Division of Human Nutrition of Wageningen University.
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