Fortified milk powder improves nutrition of school children

The essence of malnutrition treatment is to provide nutrients that are inadequate in the normal diet. This has led to a practice of providing ample amounts of nutrients irrespective of local context and needs, as reflected in the composition of most food aid products. This untargeted approach increases costs, which creates barriers to greater treatment coverage. For school children in impoverished areas in sub-Saharan Africa, the missing nutrients are essential amino acids and micronutrients. This project aims better to match dietary deficiencies by combining powdered milk and micronutrients into a ready-to-use school meal and tests its efficacy relative to school attendance and retention.

By: Anne Lau Heckmann

Currently, only 23% of African school children sporadically receive some type of school meal, typically a simple cereal porridge served infrequently. This inadequacy often results in children prioritizing alleviating hunger, a basic need, over active participation in school activities. Consequently, students arrive late, leave early, and struggle to concentrate, leading to high dropout rates and an illiterate and unprepared workforce. Addressing this issue requires more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable school meal solutions. The objective of this project is to assess whether the supply of a ready-to-use school meal with milk (RTUMM), can increase school attendance among elementary and junior high students aged 5-18 years.  A cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial will be conducted in rural Ghana wherein milk and micronutrients will be provided in a school meal. The students’ attendance will be monitored using a hardy biometric device daily. The study outcomes will be percentage of attendance, matriculation and retention. Student physical growth will also be measured two times in the school year. These trials will provide evidence of the highest quality for the authorities and agencies that sponsor school feeding to determine if milk and micronutrients can routinely be used as part of a specialized, nutritious diet. The trial will run through two calendar years, so seasonality effects will be taken into account. The RTUMM is produced locally in Ghana, although not locally at every school, adhering to FDA standards for excellent food safety and quality. 

The work will be undertaken by Project Peanut Butter, the premier clinical nutrition trials organization in Africa. The broad outcome of this study is to generate high-quality evidence demonstrating a superior alternative to traditional school feeding programs across Africa. This study will provide evidence that extends to secondary school students. Ultimately, a successful trial could lead to transformative changes in how dairy products are integrated into international food programs, benefiting school children worldwide.