Weaning Food Situation and Challenges in Developing Countries - From a JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteer Dispatch Country

Background and objectives: One of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is to is to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age by 2030, and although the mortality rate is decreasing year by year, there are still many malnourished and stunted children. The purpose of this study was to understand the current state of nutrition in developing countries and to identify issues that need to be addressed. Methods: A questionnaire on weaning food was administered to members of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) who were dispatched to developing countries to work as volunteers as part of Japan's Official Development Assistance program. The survey items included the content of the first bite, introduction age, and opportunities for parents to learn about weaning, etc. Simple and cross tabulation was conducted on the responses of 40 volunteers dispatched to 23 countries. Results: The target regions were as follows: Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America, with 65% in urban areas and 35% in rural areas. 42.5% of the respondents started weaning at 5 to 6 months, 50% of cases used seasonings from the beginning, and the first bite being the staple food in all regions. 52.5% of the respondents reported that guidance and opportunities to learn about weaning (information sources) and were mostly from family members or parents. Comparing urban and rural areas, 71.4% of rural areas had only familial guidance when learning about weaning. In 30% of cases, there were no national or regional guidelines for weaning food. In addition, in more than 77% of the countries, respondents were concerned about nutritional balance and hygiene. A small number of respondents stated that they were struggling to survive and that their children were taking care of them. Conclusion: In order to avoid preventable deaths, it was suggested that expert knowledge and learning opportunities should be provided, and if there are no official national or regional guidelines, then guidelines should be developed to suit the diet and lifestyle of the country. These results are just the tip of the iceberg, and more information.