COMMUNITY BASED NUTRITIONAL SURVEY: GERUKE JIMAT PEASANTS' ASSOCIATION, ILUBABOR REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Adequate nutrition is a basic need and prerequisite for health. Its promotion has been made one of the eight elements of PHC. In many developing countries the balance between an adequate level of nutrition and malnutrition is finely posed. Relatively minor changes in the environment or political-economic situation of a region can seriously disturb this balance and precipitate widespread malnutrition. Ethiopia's population is over 80% rural and heavily dependent upon agriculture for its livelihood. Despite the country's agricultural potential, the sector remains under developed and per-capita food production and consumption remains less than optimal. Illubabor Region has greater farming potential than most regions of Ethiopia. Farmable land is abundant and the annual rainfall sufficient to support its population of 3.5 million inhabitants. In spite of this situation, childhood malnutrition has been reported to be widespread within the region and in excess of national rates.