Outcomes of milk based Interventions: Improvements on health and nutritional status of under-fives in rural households,

Tanzania?

Devota Mwaseba

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Presentation Outline

Background

Research problem

Objectives

Methodology

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Background

Manutrition particularly child under-nutrition is one of

the major health development problems world wide

(Semba, 2008)

Especially in developing countries including Tanzania.

It contributes among others to poor child cognitive

development, stunting, child morbidity and mortality

(Paul et al.,2011; Semba,2008; Nyaruhucha et al.,

2006;Kinabo et al.,2003)

Approximately 12 million under-five children die every

year due to malnutrition and other infectious diseases,

such as,malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS (Semba,

2008)

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Malnutrition situation in Tanzania

In 2005 ,National Bureau of statistics Tanzania

(NBS)reported ,that every 112 out of 1000 babies died

every year ( Leach and Kilama , 2009).

This means 1 in 10 children died before they reached five

years.

Majority from rural societies where 162 per 1000 live

births compared to 123 per 1000 children from urban

areas died every year.

Though there has been a decline of child mortality in

2006-2010 with under-five mortality rate reported to be

81 deaths per 1000 live births (NBS,2011).

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Background contin…..

Nationally 42% of under-five children are stunted, 5%

wasted, 1% severely wasted and 16% are severely

underweight.

Several strategies to reduce malnutrition are being

implemented especially in rural areas.

One of the strategies implented, includes the

introduction of dairy goat/cow at household level for

milk based health and nutritional interventions which

started in 1980’s and 1990’s in Njombe and Mvomero

Districts in Tanzania.

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The background information of the milk based Interventions Njombe and Mvomero Disticts

The interventions involves promotion of dairy production

cow in Njombe and goats in Mvomero (Mgeta)

which are also among areas with high cereal production

in Tanzania

In 1983,the Government of Tanzania through Sokoine

university of Agriculture with the cooperation and

assistance of NORAD

Imported sixty three months old dairy goats from Norway

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Milk based interventions cont….

Main purporse of the goat project were to produce hybrid

goats in Tanzania for milk production under semi arid

conditions

The project started very well but later recorded high

mortalities and low reproductive performances

In 1988 it was agreed that Mgeta highlands with high

altitudes, cool climate and availability of forages be a

pleasant place for the goats

Implementation of dairy goats at household level in

Mgeta started with five farmers and in 1990 other five

farmers joined.

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The milk Intervention cont…..

Heifer International through church organizations

introduced dairy cows at household level in Njombe.

Generally, objectives of the Interventions in Njombe

and Mvomero Districts were,

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Objectives of the Interventions

To increase food security and family income as well as

poverty alleviation in households (Mtenga et al )

to produce hybrid goats that could produce quality milk

and meat in rural households.

To improve health and nutritional status of vulnerable

groups such as underfives, and pregnant mothers in rural

households

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Study problem and aim of the study

Despite of various efforts that have been taken to reduce

under-five malnutrition in Tanzania,

Evidence shows that malnutrition is most widespread

and leading nutritional disorder in Tanzania and

is contributing into under-five child morbidity and

mortality especially in rural societies in Tanzania (NBS,

2005)

This study aimed at investigating whether milk based

interventions in Njombe and Mvomero had an

improvement in health and nutritional status of under-

fives in Tanzania.

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Objectives of the study

This study had two main objectives which are

To understand milk-based nutritional interventions based

on the actor’s social constructionist perspectives

To determine the outcome of milk-based nutritional

interventions on nutritional and health status of children

in rural Tanzania

The study is also divided into five other independent

specific objectives which are arranged systematically to

forms one whole study.

These are

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Specific objectives

To identify food habits and under-five feeding practices

at households level in Njombe and Mvomero Districts

To understand perceptions on use of milk for health

and nutritional status among the parents and guardians

of under-five in selected villages in Njombe and Mvomero

districts

To explore intrahousehold gender and power relations

and their implications on underfives health and

nutritional status in selected households in Njombe and

Mvomero Districts

To assess nutritional interventions outcomes on underfive

nutritional status and health in selected households in

Mvomero and Njombe districts

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Specific objectives cont…..

To determine nutrient content of food commonly fed to

under-fives in selected households in Njombe and

Mvomero Districts, Tanzania

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Methodology used

This was an interdisciplinary study and methods used

were from both qualitative and quantitative approaches

However,experience from other studies such as that of

Bril et al,2001 have shown,

that there is a difference in using quantitative methods

and qualitative methods especially in studies which needs

to observe food consumption behaviours within a

household.

This is because it is not clear if , what people say is

actually what people do all the time.

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Methodology used

Experience from various studies for example have shown

that in the presence of the observer

some behaviours may be modified or exaggerated but

not transformed.

Thus, in studies such as that of food consumption where

eating behaviour is observed in order

to identify for example if children drink milk or what

children eat,? who is feeding the child, how often do

children eat and why?

qualitative methods are possibly the best option, while

sometimes combined with quantitative

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Methods used included

For this reason most of the qualitative methods were

used in this study which included

Participant observation

Interview schedule

Case study

Focus group discussion

Indepth interview

documentary evidency as well as quantitative methods

such as

Anthropometric assessment and

Food sample analysis

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Study areas and population

Njombe and Mvomero districts were the two main

study areas in this study.

In Njombe, Kichiwa and Uwemba wards were used,

while Bunduki, Langali, Nyandira, Tchenzema and Mgeta

wards represented in (Mgeta) Mvomero District

The target study population in this study are the under-

five with their parents mother or father and or guardians

in both Njombe and Mvomero Districts

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Results

Results and discussions of this study are still analysed

but they will be presented later.

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