Half Day Seminar
“Current Evidences on Rice Fortification for Improving Nutrition”
Indonesia as a middle-income country, characterised by wide regional disparities: cities with modern shopping malls contrast sharply with the country’s poor rural areas. Indonesia is a member of G20 – the Group of Twenty of the world’s major industrial and emerging economies – and is playing an increasingly important role in the region. Reforming social protection system is anchored firmly as one of the government’s national priorities in the five-year medium-term development plan and will also continue to play a key role in the 2015-2019 development plan. Social protection is seen as one of the foundations for economic growth and social cohesion.
Indonesia has become one of the 17 countries with concerning nutrition problems, placing the country’s nutrition status at the same level as African countries. It is conveyed by the Deputy of Human Resources & Culture of Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). Both under and over nutrition problems are facing by Indonesians, such as underweight, stunting, obesity, anemia, vitamin A and Iodine deficiencies. According to presidential decree (PERPRES) No. 43/2013 on Acceleration Nutrition Improvement, the main focus of the target groups of the nutrition programs are teenagers, woman at reproductive age, pregnant woman, lactating woman, and young children, particullary among poor, isolated communities and disaster victims such as refugees.
Rice plays an important roles in Indonesians diet. About 95% of Indonesian consume rice every day with the mean intake of rice was 197,1 g/cap/day. Half of the calories and 40% of protein consumed by the Indonesian society are derived from rice. The Indonesian population still consumes less than 50% of the amounts of vitamins and minerals needed. Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is a serious health issue that compromises the cognitive development of young children and increases the risk for maternal death at birth. Update according to Riskesdas 2013 of Ministry of Health, 37,1 % pregnant woman, 28,1% children under-five years & 26,4% of school children are suffering from anemia. There was no much change in the prevalance of anemia among children under-five and school chldren.
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient especially relevant for the eyesight, immune functions and growth. Urban poor families, rely on cheap staple foods which are lack of vitamin A content. According to the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) subclinical forms of vitamin A deficiency affect 14.6 % of children under five in Indonesia which is considered a significant public health problem.
Other nutrients also tend to be lower. Deficiencies in vitamin B1 and B3 often occur in populations which consume milled rice as their main staple food. Rice is also a poor source of folic acid, which is important for fetus development. Zinc which plays an important roles in bone development and the immune system, is usually in adequate in Indonesian diet. Children with inadequate zinc intake are likely to be stunting and suffer more often from diarrhoea, further compromising their growth. Stunting is prevalent among Indonesian children. Udate from data of Riskesdas 2013 of Ministry of Health, the prevalence of stunting among children under-five years was 37,2% and among school children (5-12 years) was 30,7 %.
Evidence from developed countries showed that the health and academic performance of primary school children are improved through the introduction of school food and health programmes. Although some have recognised the value of school food and health programmes, there is still a lack of realistic and affordable concepts, as well as the required expertise. Very few sustainable programmes run on a regional basis. Many are only carried out in a few individual schools and are thus far from reaching their full potential.
Based on the above considerations, Food and Nutrition Society of Indonesia (PERGIZI PANGAN Idonesia) branch North Sumatera and GIZ Indonesia will conducted a Half Day Seminar on Fortified Rice to updating knowledge and evidence based about Rice Fortification in Indonesia.
Based on the above considerations, Food and Nutrition Society of Indonesia (PERGIZI PANGAN Idonesia) and the Department of Community Nutrition IPB conduct a half-day workshop on rice fortification to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in Indonesia in this day.
Rice Fortification For Improving Nutrition: What We Have Done In The Philippines? – Mario Capanzana, PhD (Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST)
Current Evidences On Rice Fortification For Improving Nutrition: Lessons Learned From Raskin Fortification – Dr Drajat Martianto, MSc