Dealing with blindness via consumption of Vitamin A cassava
In Nigeria, VAD reportedly afflicts about 20 per cent of pregnant women and about 30 per cent of children under the age of five years.
Research has shown that VAD lowers the victim’s immunity and impairs his or her vision, while deficiency in the micronutrient could lead to blindness and even death.
Researchers have also identified night blindness as the first sign of the VAD, with a proviso that complete blindness could occur if there is no proper therapy with appropriate medication.
However, there is some cheery news: Scientists have developed the Yellow Cassava; a new cassava variety that is fortified with Vitamin A.
Recognising the importance of the new crop variety, the Federal Government on July 31, 2013, launched the Yellow Cassava under its Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
The new cassava species was launched, in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crop Research Institute of Nigeria (NRCRI), under the HarvestPlus initiative.
The programme, which constitutes a vital component in the designed efforts to improve the nutritional and public health of Nigerians, particularly aims at fighting VAD.
It also aims at providing more Vitamin A in the diets of Nigerians.
The strategy is somewhat plausible and pragmatic because the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that not less than 70 million Nigerians eat cassava-based foods every day.
Dr Tosin Bewaji of Gold Cross Hospital, Lagos, describes Vitamin A as an essential fat soluble body nutrient, which is available in human foods.
He identifies the functions of Vitamin A as maintenance of good vision, immune functions, embryonic development and bone metabolism, among others.
``VAD is more prevalent among children and pregnant women and its burden is greater in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Nigeria, according to statistics from the WHO.
``For children, VAD causes severe visual impairment and blindness; it increases the risk of severe illness and common childhood infections such as measles, weakened immunity and death.
``VAD occurs during any one of the three-month periods of pregnancy, when demand of the unborn child and the mother becomes high.
``This is the period when night blindness is prevalent,” he said.
Bewaji says that a more pragmatic solution to the deficiency is by encouraging the people to eat Vitamin A-rich diets or foods that are fortified with Vitamin A.
``The Yellow Cassava is a good innovation as it provides a lasting solution to fighting VAD,” he said.
Observers say that the Yellow Cassava is gaining appreciable popularity among farmers and even consumers.
They note that the cassava stems are already being multiplied, with the aim of spreading the production of the Yellow Cassava across the country.
Mr Muyideen Adekunle, the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), says that the HarvestPlus programme and its partners are already distributing the Yellow Cassava stems to farmers.
Adekunle says that the stems have been distributed to farmers in eight major local government areas in the state.
He says that for experimentation, the cassava stems are to be planted on two hectares of specially prepared land, so as to boost their production.
``The IITA and HarvestPlus representatives in Oyo State have been mobilising farmers to embrace the planting of the cassava in different communities.
``This is being done through the help of the association.
``The cassava stems are given to farmers to cultivate; after the stems’ multiplication, the farmers are advised to distribute the stems to others in their communities,” he says.
Adekunle says that about 1,500 farmers are now into the cultivation of the Yellow Cassava in Oyo State.
He, however, proposes the initiation of a public awareness campaign to sensitise farmers and Nigerians to the nutritional benefits of the Vitamin A cassava.
However, Mr Pius Adewuyi, the Extension Officer, Agricultural Development Program (ADP) in Oyo State, says that Nigerian families are gradually embracing the Yellow Cassava.
He stresses that the ADP, with the help of the NCGA, ensured that about 1,250 farmers across the state have access to the cassava stems.
``The farmers have started producing food such as garri, fufu and lafun from the Yellow Cassava.
``They are also very aware that this new breed of cassava is very good for their health, especially in efforts to fight eye problems and improve the children’s growth,” he said.
All the same, observers underscore the need to make pragmatic efforts to boost the production of the Yellow Cassava, insisting that the cassava variety is not yet available in commercial quantities.
A cassava trader, Mrs Olusola Popoola, however, says that demand for the Yellow Cassava was still low
``Our farmers have not started the production of the new cassava in large quantities,” she says.
Nevertheless, Mr Michael Emure, a cassava processor, attests to the good quality of the Yellow Cassava in producing varieties of food.
``The Yellow Cassava is more convenient to process than the white cassava.
``One would need to add palm oil to the white cassava while making yellow garri,” he said.
The HarvestPlus initiative, however, predicts that by the middle of this year, more than 150,000 Nigerian households will be eating foods made from the Yellow Cassava. (NANFeatures)
Written By Omowumi Alake, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
No comments: