GeoNutrition - tackling hidden hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa

矿物质微量营养素缺乏症（MNDs）在撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）普遍存在。饥饿（又称隐性饥饿）对人类健康有重大的有害影响，限制了经济增长和减轻贫困的努力。缓解饥饿是第二个可持续发展目标（SDG2）的重要组成部分，即到2030年“消除饥饿，实现粮食安全和改善营养，促进可持续农业”。这一基金会奖将侧重于支持埃塞俄比亚和马拉维减少营养不良的努力，这两个国家普遍存在矿物质营养不良问题，膳食矿物质摄入量远低于最佳营养所需的水平。例如，在这两个国家，缺锌的风险高达40%，导致儿童死亡率和发育迟缓率很高。在马拉维，缺硒的风险超过75%，损害人体免疫系统的健康功能。铁和碘缺乏症很普遍，是该区域广泛补充和食品强化方案（即技术“修复”）的重点。该基金会奖的科学目标是了解热带非洲土壤的光谱特性如何与土壤中矿物质的植物可利用性以及随后与矿物质转移到主要作物和饮食的可食用部分之间的关系，以及与最佳矿物质状态的种群水平生物标志物之间的关系。实现这一目标将使土壤和可食用作物组织中植物可利用养分的地理空间预测成为可能，从而在下游粮食系统中实现。以前，非洲土壤信息服务（AfSIS）项目利用x射线荧光（XRF）和中红外（MIR）光谱对土壤的光谱特性进行了大规模测量。我们以前在马拉维的小规模横断面研究中发现了土壤-作物-生物标志物之间的密切联系。这一目标将通过三个主题的活动来实现。在主题1中，将在埃塞俄比亚的500个地点进行设计的土壤和作物抽样方案。将开发两套统计模型，第一套将侧重于预测总（XRF）和植物可利用土壤矿物质浓度之间的关系，使用来自MIR、遥感和遗留数据（例如地图）来源的协变量数据。第二套模型将侧重于植物有效土壤矿物质浓度与作物可食用部分矿物质浓度之间的关系。在主题2中，这些数据将与公开/政府来源的数据相结合，以预测膳食矿物质供应（并突出知识空白）。这些预测将根据来自国家监测规划的矿物质生物标志物数据（如血液、尿液）和微量营养素状况的替代指标（如发育迟缓）进行检验。主题1和主题2的产出将以适合与决策者沟通的地图和报告的形式提供，包括不确定性的沟通。地图将用于突出那些最可能发生精神分裂症的地理区域。主题3的重点是与决策者的互动，以优化传播战略，并加强开展长期研发的网络和能力，以解决该地区的知识差距。我们在埃塞俄比亚和马拉维拥有完善的合作伙伴网络，包括学术界、高层决策者、非政府组织和工业界，他们都将发挥积极作用，确保基金会奖产生真正的影响，并将通过健全的评估程序对其进行评估。

Mineral Micronutrient Deficiencies (MNDs) are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). MNDs (a.k.a. hidden hunger) have a major detrimental effect on human health which constrains economic growth and efforts to alleviate poverty. Alleviating MNDs is a major component of the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2), to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture", by 2030. This Foundation Award will focus on supporting efforts to reduce MNDs in Ethiopia and Malawi, two countries with widespread mineral nutrient malnutrition problems where dietary mineral intakes fall well below levels required for optimal nutrition. For example, zinc deficiency risks are >40% in both countries which causes high rates of child mortality and stunting. Selenium deficiency risks exceed 75% in Malawi, compromising the healthy functioning of human immune systems. Iron and iodine deficiencies are widespread and are the focus of widespread supplementation and food fortification programmes (i.e. technical 'fixes') in the region.The scientific aim of this Foundation Award is to understand how the spectral properties of tropical African soils relate to plant-availability of minerals in soils and, subsequently, to the transfer of minerals into the edible portions of staple crops and diets, and to population-level biomarkers of optimal mineral status. Achieving this aim will enable the geospatial prediction of plant-available nutrients in soils and in edible crop tissues, and thereby in downstream food systems. Spectral properties have previously been measured on a massive scale by the Africa Soils Information Service (AfSIS) programme, using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Mid Infra-Red (MIR) spectroscopy. We have previously identified strong links between soil-crop-biomarkers in small-scale cross-sectional studies in Malawi.This aim will be realised through activities in three Themes. In Theme 1, a designed soil and crop sampling programme will be conducted at 500 sites in Ethiopia. Two sets of statistical models will be developed, the first will focus on predicting relationships between total (XRF) and plant-available soil mineral concentrations, using covariate data from MIR, remote sensing and legacy data (e.g. maps) sources. The second set of models will focus on relationships between plant-available soil mineral concentrations and their concentrations in crop edible portions. In Theme 2, these data will be integrated with data from published/government sources to predict dietary mineral supply (and highlight knowledge gaps). These predictions will be tested against mineral biomarker data (e.g. blood, urine) and proxies of micronutrient status (e.g. stunting) from national surveillance programmes. Outputs of Themes 1 and 2 will be delivered in the forms of maps and reports suited to communicating with policy-makers, to include the communication of uncertainty. Maps will be used to highlight those geographical areas that are at highest likely risk of MNDs. The focus of Theme 3 is interactions with policy-makers to optimise communication strategies, and to strengthen networks and capacity to conduct longer-term R&D to address knowledge gaps in the region. We have well-established networks of partners in Ethiopia and Malawi, including academics, high-level policy-makers, NGOs and industry, who will all play active roles to ensure that the Foundation Award delivers genuine impact that will be assessed using robust evaluation procedures.