PHA-Exchange> Rebuttal to 'How Vitamins Could Change the World' (4)

[Aviva]

From: "Ted Greiner" <ted_greiner at hotmail.com>

While throwing nutrient supplements at poor people is clearly not
the answer, there is an element in the UNICEF message that has too long
been ignored and this in itself is a kind of insult to the
poor. </P>
The North American and certain UN donor agencies "have their way"
with developing countries regarding the solutions to micronutrient
malnutrition problems--which always end up being pharmaceutical
(give people pills or fortify foods with nutrients)--because the
Europeans and more socially concerned UN agencies ignore nutrition.
They complain that the long-term solution to micronutrient problems is
improvement of the diet, but never put any money behind this and never
do battle in policy forums (where developing country speakers calling
for improved diets are commonly politely informed that they are at a
scientific not a political forum). <BR><BR>It is a common error to
assume that malnutrition problems can and should be dealt with
passively--that is, they will be solved if we do a good
job achieving our other goals for equitable development and
therefore need no special direct attention and funding. </P>
We expect that if the right conditions are met, the poor will pull
themselves up by their bootstraps.  But decade after decade
we continue to ignore the fact that poor people cannot achieve their
potentials when deficiencies of calories, iron and iodine sap their
physical strength, numerous deficiencies make them more susceptible to
disease, and several deficiencies reduce their ability to learn.
Ted Greiner, Associate Professor 
International Child Health 
Uppsala University 
Sweden