Increasing resilience to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other health threats in food-insecure communities

Abstract

The health of the majority of South Africa’s population is seriously threatened by hunger and micronutrient deficiency, with impaired immune response a real threat, which the current SARSCoV-2 virus pandemic has highlighted. Traditional household food-processing techniques can, amongst other advantages, increase nutrient bioavailability in affordable staple foods and hence provide a way, in part, to alleviate malnutrition for food-insecure communities. In this way, immune defence and pathogen resilience of the food insecure could be enhanced so that they can better survive both COVID-19 and future threats.

Keywords: COVID-19, economic shocks, food insecurity, food security, health shocks, indigenous knowledge systems, malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, nutrient bioavailability, nutritional bioavailability, pathogen resilience, SARS-CoV-2