TNAG-2110-FCO40-3009-Hong-Kong-participation-in-international-organisations-1990 — Page 206

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Action programmes to overcome specific Nutritional Deficiencies in the Asia-Pacific Region

I. INTRODUCTION

1. A review of the food production and food availability performances of the Region as a whole and of individual countries of the Region was presented at the Nineteenth FAO Regional Conference held in July 1988 in Bangkok 1/. The need for shifting the focus of food production from mere self-reliance to nutritional adequacy received attention and to facilitate such a shift a nutritionally desirable dietary pattern for use in agricultural and food policy planning was discussed. In order to achieve dietary adequacy, some countries will have to further increase food availability while for many, diversification of food crops, increased availability of animal products and improved access to food by the low income populations is necessary. In pursuance of these issues the nutrition situation in the Region is here further reviewed with particular emphasis on the incidence of specific nutritional deficiencies. The removal of nutrient deficiencies from the diets of the people of the Region will mean a significant improvement in their general nutritional and health status. Action programmes and strategies to overcome these deficiencies are proposed. Discussion of this paper will provide valuable ideas and suggestions for possible further debate at the International Conference on Nutrition in 1993.

II.

2.1

PROGRESS IN FOOD SUPPLIES

Availability of Total Dietary Energy

2. Cereals are the most important food group in the supply of dietary energy in the Region providing from 44 to 84 percent of individual developing countries total dietary energy. Domestic production and overall supply of cereals largely determine the level of adequacy of total dietary energy availability in such countries.

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3. On average, total food availability or dietary-energy supply (DES) the developing countries of the Region, over the decade 1974-76 to 1984-86, increased from 2039 to 2430 kilocalories per caput per day (Table 1). Since 1984, which was a particularly good year for cereal production, cereal production stayed steady and many countries of the Region reported good harvests until 1987.

4. By 1984-86 most countries had improved per caput food availability. There remained however, a large disparity among the nations: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and four Pacific island nations showed a deterioration or little improvement. National averages of food availability also give no indication of differential access to food by various socio-economic groups within a country.

1/

'Food Production for Nutritional Adequacy in Asia-Pacific Region', 19th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, July 1988, ARPC/88/4.