NutriFish

Harnessing dietary nutrients of under-utilized fish and fish processing by-products to reduce

micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable groups in Uganda – NutriFish..

Obiective 1

Stock status and nutrient composition of under-utilized small fishes across lakes Victoria, Albert, Nabugabo and Kyoga quantified for formulation of management strategies

Objective 2

Information on drivers and magnitude of post-harvest losses of under-utilized small fishes generated and cost-effective processing technologies promoted among women, youths, policy makers and other actors in the value chain.

Objective 3

Nutrient-enhanced fish-based complementary foods (CF) for vulnerable groups developed and commercialized.

Objective 4

Information on socio-economic and institutional factors impeding access to and consumption of fish and fish-based products by vulnerable groups generated to formulate appropriate gender-inclusive strategies/interventions.

Objective 5

Capacity of partner institutions and actors along under-utilized small fish value chain enhanced by the end of the project.

The Problem being addressed

Food insecurity and under-nutrition constitute serious challenges to human health and economic development in Uganda. According to the Uganda Demographic and Health survey (UBOS and ICF 2017), 29% of children aged <5 years are stunted, 4% are wasted, and 11% are underweight. In addition, 53%> of 6-59 months old children and about 32% of women aged 15-49 are anaemic. Further, zinc deficiency affects 70% and 30% of children and women, respectively, resulting in: poor growth; reduced resistance to infectious diseases; and increased incidences of still birth. Children and women in rural and urban poor (Base of the Pyramid, BoP) communities are particularly affected (Wanyama et al., 2018) due to limited access to animal protein and micronutrient-rich foods, especially fish. NutriFish is cognizant of several multi-sectoral interventions in Uganda aimed at reducing malnutrition (e.g., Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project (FANTA III), Micronutrient Opportunities, Strategies and Technology (MOST), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), IDRC-supported pre-cooked beans). However, these interventions did not focus on harnessing the potential of under-utilized small fishes and fish processing by-products. Fish offers superior protein quality, omega-3 fatty acids and higher concentrations of bio-available minerals and vitamins (Bogard et al., 2015b, Wheal et al., 2016), critical for the health of children and women of reproductive age.

Fish has become less available and accessible, particularly to Base of Pyramid communities.

The fish consumption rate is expected to decline further due to Uganda's high annual population growth rate, estimated at 3%

Post-harvest handling and processing methods used for under-utilized small fish limit their potential to contribute to improved nutrition.

Learn More
Project in photos.

Ladies involved in small fish (mukene) handling, drying fishes in the sand lowering the value

Small fish (mukene) catch mixed with sand for fast drying

Small seine net for small fishes (mukene)

Memeber of the project giving a presentation during the inception

Part of the people who attended the inception meeting

A cross section of the inception meeting attendants