on August 28, 2024
Description: Ethiopia, like much of Africa, faces a looming health crisis. A lack of omega-3 fatty acids in diets leads to poor brain development, reduced cognitive function, and developmental delays in infants, further limiting the intellectual ability, learning behaviour, and future productivity of young children. It is difficult to get a sufficient amount of these nutrients in commonly consumed diets to meet daily recommended human intakes. Ethiopia is among the countries where the intake of omega-3 fatty acids is below the recommended range for infants and young children and below the minimum recommended range for pregnant and lactating women.
Current solutions, like expensive fish oil supplements and fish, are out of reach for most Ethiopians. In addition, the water ecosystem is under constant pressure, such as overfishing, decline in fish species, contamination with toxic heavy metals, and climate change effects, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of fish consumption. Thus, there is a need to shift to sustainable alternative terrestrial omega-3 fatty acid sources to meet the rapidly growing demands for these nutrients.
In research supported by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the possibility of enriching commonly consumed foods such as meat and eggs through dietary modification of the chicken diet has been explored. According to this study, feeding chicken with plant polyphenol extracts as natural antioxidants along with dietary fat enables the production of omega-3-rich meat and eggs to meet the recommended daily human needs.
This seminar will propose avenues for a policy-oriented research agenda seeking a production of Omega-3- rich meat and eggs for better implications for nutrition and health in Ethiopia. Dr. Dessalew Tadesse, PhD, who is a Healthy AgriFood Solutions Consult, Ethiopia, will give a detailed briefing about Omega-3 rich meat and egg production in Ethiopia. Dr. Namukulo, ILRI, Country Director, will share the integration of omega-3 fatty acids into our diet in Ethiopia too.
The audience will have an opportunity to interact with the speakers during the Q&A session.
Dr. Masresha Tessema, Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Director, EPHI
Moderator
Dr. Aregash Samuel, NIPN Ethiopia National Coordinator, Senior Researcher at the Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, EPHI
Speaker: Dr Dessalew Tadesse, PhD, Healthy Agri-food Solutions Consult, Ethiopia
Panelist: Dr Namukulo, ILRI, Country Director, Ethiopia
Panelist: TBA
Mode of delivery: Hybrid (Virtual and physical)
Time: 10:00 am (Addis time)
Venue: National Training Center, EPHI
Zoom link:
Time: Aug 28, 2024 10:00 am
https://zoom.us/j/96195624345?pwd=qpXDvH2Ti675rWzybobKCbWjJaE4eP.1
Meeting ID: 961 9562 4345
Passcode: jr0Bnh
https://zoom.us/j/96195624345?pwd=qpXDvH2Ti675rWzybobKCbWjJaE4eP.1
Meeting ID: 961 9562 4345
Passcode: jr0Bnh
