De pilot van het Tenfold project is gestart op 17 november 2014 in de Van Norman kliniek in Bujumbura. Deze kliniek heeft plaats voor 60 patiënten. Inmiddels hebben we al meer dan 3000 mensen dagelijks van een voedzame maaltijd voorzien.
Met jouw geld willen we de dagelijkse voedselvoorziening in de Van Norman kliniek continueren maar ook de reikwijdte van ons project vergroten. De situatie van de patiënten in klinieken Prince Louis Rwagasore (130 bedden) en het Regent Charles (600 bedden) is zo mogelijk nog schrijnender. Wij willen graag ook daar starten en beginnen om in eerste instantie de gehospitaliseerde kinderen en hun ‘garde de malade’ (vaak de moeder) te helpen.
Dr. Noel Niyondiko, directeur en arts van de Van Norman Clinic te Bujumbura, Burundi, over Tenfold;
1) Wat is doorgaans het voedingspatroon van patiënten in ziekenhuizen in Burundi?
Als gevolg van de jarenlange oorlog hebben veel mensen onvoldoende inkomen om zichzelf en hun familie dagelijks van voldoende eten te voorzien. Hierdoor ontbreekt het patiënten aan voldoende en voedzame voeding om goed te kunnen herstellen.
2) Wat is uw mening over het Tenfold project in de Van Norman kliniek?
Naar mijn mening helpt het project alle patiënten, en de patiënten die niemand hebben om voor hen te zorgen des te meer.
3) Heeft u reacties ontvangen van patiënten?
Patiënten die ik heb gesproken ervaren de maaltijd die zij van Tenfold ontvangen als een zegen.
4) Zou u andere ziekenhuizen in Bujumbura het Tenfold project aanbevelen?
Ik raad het project absoluut aan; de condities van patiënten in andere ziekenhuizen zijn helaas niet beter.
Have you ever complained about hospital food? Maybe it was flavourless or overcooked, or lacking variety? Now imagine if hospitals would not provide any meals at all. Could you count on the culinary skills and readiness of family and friends to help out? This is the only opportunity for patients in Burundian hospitals to eat, as there is no hospital catering service available. Tenfold is bringing change.
Nutrition in Burundi
Burundi is a small, very poor country in East Africa. Over 80% of the population has less than US$ 1.25 a day to spend (1). The health situation in Burundi is fragile, caused by the weakness of the healthcare system, vulnerability of mothers and children, a heavy burden of diseases, and high levels of malnutrition (2).
The level of malnutrition in Burundi is ranked as ‘extremely alarming’ (3). The proportion of undernourished people has been rising steadily over the past two decades. More then half of all children under five years old are chronically malnourished (4).
What is malnutrition?
The term malnutrition describes an imbalance in a person’s nutrition, which can manifest as either over-nutrition or under-nutrition.
Over-nutrition occurs when we eat more then our body requires and is most frequently seen in the developed world. It can result in overweight and obesity.
Under-nutrition is generally caused by deficiencies in dietary intake and is most often found in developing countries. However, under-nutrition may also be present in hospitals in developed countries, where it is referred to as disease-related under-nutrition. Under-nutrition has a negative effect on our immune system. Underweight children have a higher risk of contracting infectious diseases, and they have higher risk of dying from illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Under-nutrition of a pregnant woman frequently leads to low birth weight and irreparable mental and physical damage of the baby (5).
Under-nutrition caused by deficiencies in dietary intake
Acute malnutrition Protein-energy deficiency, also called acute malnutrition, results from a deficit in all major macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins). This type of malnutrition is common during famine, and is relatively easy to observe. Acutely malnourished children and adults are very thin and have little body fat and muscle mass, whilst others have oedema (swollen arms, legs or belly). In Burundi, the prevalence of acute malnutrition in children under five years of age has decreased significantly over the last decade, to 6% (4).
Chronic malnutrition
Malnutrition is not only related to the quantity of food consumed, also to its quality. Many populations in rural Africa subsist on monotonous diets based on grains, starchy roots and tubers. These diets provide energy, but lack important micronutrients. Consumption of these undiversified diets over an extended period of time results in micronutrient deficiencies. Chronic malnutrition is more difficult to observe, but has a very high prevalence. In Burundi, 58% of all children under five years of age are chronically malnourished (4).
In both adults and children, micronutrient deficiencies can cause various diseases and problems. Children are still growing and developing, making the effects of chronic malnutrition worse. Children that are deficient in one or more nutrients are often smaller and shorter for their age, but otherwise appear normal. This is called stunting. Stunting can result in more frequent illness, increased risk of death before five years of age, poor physical capability, and lower school grades (5).
Disease related under-nutrition
Disease-related under-nutrition develops as a consequence of illness. It can be caused by reduced dietary intake, higher nutritional requirements, impaired absorption of nutrients and/or increased losses due to sickness, or a combination of these factors (6, 7). Even in developed countries, as many as 40% of patients are under-‐nourished when they enter hospital (8, 9).
The consequences of under-nutrition in hospitalized patients can be severe. It is associated with negative patient outcomes, including slower recovery (10), higher risk of infections and complications (6, 11-14), increased muscle loss (8, 10, 15), impaired wound healing (7, 10), increased length of hospital stay (16-19), higher risk of hospital readmission (20), and increased morbidity and mortality (8, 10, 19, 21).
Feeding hospitalized patients in Burundi
The information above illustrates why is it extremely important to pay additional attention to the nutrition of those who are hospitalized. Patients in hospitals in Burundi, and other developing countries, are often double burdened. Many are suffering from under-nutrition before becoming ill, and additionally there is a considerable risk of disease-‐related under-‐nutrition as a result of illness and hospitalization. However, facilities in Burundian hospitals are very limited. Hospital catering does not exist and patients are dependent on family and friends for their daily meals. Providing a hospitalized friend or family member with three meals a day is a heavy burden for caregivers, both practically and financially, and therefore not always feasible. Family and friends often live far away from the hospital, and transportation is expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, caregivers may have their own families to take care of. Those with a limited social network are very vulnerable. Consequently, many hospitalized patients do not consume three meals a day.
Tenfold’s hospital feeding programme
To give hospital patients the best chance of a healthy recovery, Tenfold provides a tasty and nutritious porridge to all patients hospitalized at the Van Norman Clinic in Bujumbura, Burundi. The porridge is served to each patient for breakfast.
Eating breakfast is important. It activates the digestive system and it provides energy and nutrients for a good start of the day. In the interior of Burundi most people consume a maize-based porridge in the morning, which provides energy but lacks sufficient vitamins, minerals and protein. Tenfold uses BUSOMA flour to prepare the porridge, which is based on maize, but adds 25% sorghum flour and 25% soybean flour (hence the name BUSOMA -‐Burundi Sorghum Soybeans Maize). BUSOMA flour contains 6% fat and 13% protein.
In a nutshell
Unfortunately many patients in hospitals in Burundi do not consume breakfast at all due to practical and financial reasons. This can negatively influence their nutritional status. The consequences of malnutrition in hospitalized patients can be severe. It is associated with negative outcomes for patients like slower recovery and higher risk of infections and complications (6, 10-‐14). Tenfold’s hospital feeding programme contributes to improved nutritional status and patient outcomes. Breakfast is a meal worth looking forward to at the Van Norman Clinic.
Bon appétit!
Biography Marieke de Lange
Marieke is a nutritionist and provides technical nutrition advice to Tenfold. She holds an MSc in Health and Nutrition from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, specialising in both Human Nutrition and Communication in Public Health. After working many years for a large international medical food company as a researcher and clinical trial manager, in 2007 she and her husband decided to decamp to Africa.
Starting their adventure in Kenya, Marieke worked for the Netherlands Embassy where she contributed to the sound financial management of Dutch‐funded development cooperation projects, and later for an international market research company. In their spare time they explored Africa by car and tent. Marieke presently lives with her husband and their two children in Bujumbura, Burundi. She consults in the field of nutrition for several non-governmental organisations, hoping to better the nutritional status of all Burundians.
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