Micronutrient deficiency (hidden hunger) is a public health concern, estimated to affect over 2 billion people worldwide. Although the concern is highest in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, high income countries are not exempt. War, pandemics, and climate change have all impacted the global food system and cost of nutritious food. The clinical presentation of hidden hunger may not always be obvious, yet the underlying impact of micronutrient deficiencies is profound. Hidden hunger can affect growth as well as physical and cognitive development in children, and impaired immune function in adults, leading to increased morbidity and susceptibility to infection. Beyond this, hidden hunger impacts national economic productivity.
So, can we solve hidden hunger?
Join Professor Nicola Lowe as she discusses strategies to improve micronutrient intakes at a population scale and how they must be affordable and sustainable, with biofortification as the leading strategy.
What will I gain?
- Understand the scale of the problem of hidden hunger worldwide.
- Learn about the role of biofortification in addressing hidden hunger and examine the evidence on the nutritional and health benefits.
- Gain insight into the evidence, showing what is needed for a successful strategy to improve micronutrient deficiency at population level.