Kenneth P. Olson, MD
Norrie Thomas, Host
Dr. Olson visited with us and shared information on his visits to Tanzania and the lack of nutrition his team tries to help. One stark fact that stood out from his talk is that 42% of children under 5 years old has stunted growth. Below is an excerpt from the USAid website on the nutritional profile of Tanzenia: "Stunting is attributed to a combination of factors including maternal malnutrition, inadequate infant feeding practices, low quality of health care and poor hygiene. Breastfeeding is widely practiced, but exclusive breastfeeding is not widespread, and complementary feeding practices are inadequate, with only 18 percent of young children having a minimum acceptable diet, which has a major impact on growth and development. The diet is based on cereals (maize and sorghum), starchy roots (cassava) and pulses (mainly beans). Consumption of micronutrient-dense foods such as animal products, fruits and vegetables is low; subsequently, micronutrient deficiencies are widespread, with more than half of children under five considered anemic. However, this is a major reduction from 2005, when 72 percent of children were anemic. There was a less dramatic decrease in anemia among women of reproductive age, which can be correlated with insufficient iron intake. Only 4 percent of women are taking adequate iron supplementation during pregnancy."
Dr. Olson, MD is a family physician who has practiced Family Medicine for nearly 35 years. He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Olson graduated from Augustana College and received his MD at Baylor College. Ken and his wife Birdie share a passion for Tanzania. He enjoys working "Shoulder to Shoulder" with the Tanzanian clinicians at the Ilula District near Iringa.