Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, affecting as many as 43 million children across the continent. Children affected by it are more likely to become blind or contract diseases, but scientists say there may be a solution in the form of a special sweet potato. They are orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, and they’re rich in a color pigment that is vital in preventing Vitamin A deficiency. They are not native to Africa, but scientists in Uganda are on the forefront of using a technique called biofortification to increase their availability. Scientists are now urging households to adopt this abundant crop as a staple in order to nourish children properly, which is proving to be successful in Uganda so far.
Can the sweet potato prevent malnourishment in Africa?
More of Today's Solutions
Scientists build first fully human bone marrow model to revolutionize blood d...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a transformative leap for regenerative medicine, scientists have developed the first entirely human-engineered bone marrow system. This ...
Read More7 cold and flu season mistakes doctors want you to quit making
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM You’ve heard the warnings: cold and flu season is no joke. But despite our best intentions (and fully ...
Read MoreThree ways we can repurpose closed department stores
40 percent of US department stores have closed their doors in the past five years, but the question remains: what do we do with ...
Read MoreHubble takes beautiful image of galaxies “dancing”
The Hubble Space Telescope ventured into space over three decades ago in 1990, and has observed around 50,000 celestial bodies to date. During this ...
Read More
