News

Consistent monitoring of patient health and nutrition is essential and advancements in technology has made this easier for healthcare practitioners, as well as for patients.

The theme for this year’s Nutrition Week (held from 9-15 October) is to “eat more vegetables and fruit every day”, for their health and nutritional benefits.

Across Africa, it has been estimated that up to 45% of child mortality is due to undernutrition.1 Malnutrition is one of the main causes of death and disease on the continent, especially among vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people.

There is a growing body of evidence which indicates that maternal-foetal transmission of microbiota begins during pregnancy and is influenced by many factors, such as mother’s health and diet, genetics, obesity and smoking status, as well as the use of antibiotic agents during pregnancy.

The practice of functional nutrition views food as medicine, in an individualised, patient-centred approach. The focus is on identifying the root cause of health problems, and then addressing these through nutrition or diet.

As we live in an era of customisation, it is no surprise that Personalised Nutrition (PN) is a fast-growing field. This is important for healthcare practitioners (HCPs), as globally, the improvements to our diets could potentially prevent 1 in every 5 deaths.

The Golden Hour refers to the first 60 minutes after birth, when a baby is placed against its mother’s skin for the first time. Modern medical science tells us that this hour is a critical time for the execution of evidence-based practices – including the initiation of exclusive breastfeeding – that stabilise the health of both mom and baby.

The 28th of July is World Hepatitis Day, reminding healthcare practitioners (HCPs) and patients alike of the importance of liver health. Every day, more than 3 600 people die of viral hepatitis-related liver disease, liver failure and liver cancer.