A press conference held in Copenhagen during the week
of May 29th, 2008
revealed that a proposal had been made to increase the supplementation of
vitamin A and Zinc in Asia and Sub Saharan Africa. This would allegedly improve
health as well as economic function. Sue Horton reported on this issue, that
studies show that feeding supplements to children dramatically improves health.
This is made evident by the children in developing countries, where obtaining
basic foods can be a struggle, and fortified foods are far from accessible. One
study done in Guatemala followed children for 25 years, one group was provided
with ample zinc as children and the other was not, while all other factors were
kept equal. After 25 years, the group who was provided with zinc earned over
50% more than the other group, indicating that health can have an effect on
economic success. Horton, who presented this information at the conference,
stated that for 1.2 billion dollars a year, and widespread cooperation from
governments and flour companies, the worlds malnourished children could be
provided with critical micronutrients. It would not be an easy endeavor, but
might well be worth it.
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