Niger : a summary of findings related to the consumption of vitamin A-rich foods and suggestions for a communications strategy

Most of the findings presented here have been gleaned from a preliminary analysis of the author"s in-depth ethnographic study conducted between 1/87- 3/89 in a rural Hausa village in the Tahoua Department in Niger. Following a section on staple foods in Niger and plant and animal sources of vitamin A, the report focuses on the feeding patterns of infants and children under three years of age. The following topics are addressed: breastfeeding and colostrum, complementary feeding, not forcing children to eat, the meaning of food within the culture, and the introduction of first foods. The report concludes with guidance for a communications strategy.