The 7^th April is World Health Day.  Through it, we are reminded of the commitment that was made by world leaders to the Sustainable Development Goals. The world’s leaders have made a commitment to realizing people’s right to health, primarily through universal health coverage for all.

As an academic institution, the University of Pretoria through the Institute for Food Nutrition and Well-being (IFNuW) is working towards making sure that this commitment becomes a reality. The Institute is involved in ground breaking research that brings together leading researchers to meet the global challenge related to food, nutrition and well-being (health).

The involvement of skilled and passionate experts in tackling critical issues to solve health related grand challenges highlights the importance of the innovative research that Institute is engaged in.  Through pioneering research, the Institute is playing an important role in the quest for universal health coverage. Some of these research studies that have been done that contributes to health is summarised below.

The Department of Human Nutrition in collaboration with physiologists and statisticians are working on validating a standard equation that can be used to calculate body composition in African children. The equation will make it easier to ascertain how certain diseases and changes in body weight affect children’s body composition. Another team from the Department of Genetics is breaking new ground in the development of non-invasive testing methods together with colleagues form Human Nutrition and Computer Science. They have developed a rapid and inexpensive digitised technique that can be used for the rapid and multiple-diagnosis of non-communicable diseases.

A team from the Departments of Anatomy, Food Science and Human Nutrition is determined to strengthen the efforts to fight infant malnutrition in poor communities by developing meals from biofortified indigenous and African grains. Experts from the Departments of Biochemistry, Food Science and Human Nutrition are researching what happens to bioactive compounds found in indigenous grains. These compounds are known for their health-promoting properties when the grains are processed.

A large collaborative team from Human Nutrition, Educational Psychology, Physiology and Maths and Science Education have developed and tested curricula to integrate nutrition education into the school’s curriculum. Working with colleagues at Fordham University in New York City, the team is motivating principals, teachers, parents and learners to live a more active and healthy life despite the impoverished circumstances of the communities.

A collaboration between researchers from the Departments of Anatomy and Food Science are actively investigating the role of plant-derived small molecules from indigenous South African teas (Honeybush and Rooibos) and spices in human bone physiology. Experts from the Departments of Animal and Wildlife Sciences, Human Nutrition and Biochemistry are developing the fatty acid profiles for meat that can be used by dietitians in support of healthy eating. The Department of Food Science is looking at the effects of zinc on gut health, identifying marker probiotic or pathogenic bacteria and specific microbiome profiles which can serve as a reliable zinc status biomarker. Researchers from Consumer and Food Sciences and Plant and Soil Sciences are investigating food safety. 

This research contributes to feeding the world in a resource-constrained environment, ensuring safer food through effective control and regulation, promoting health, nutrition and well-being and changing consumption behaviour for improved health. We hope to make a difference in our world through the findings and innovations this work brings.