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African Association of Agricultural Economists. Shaping the Future of African Agriculture for
Development: The Role of Social Scientists. Proceedings of the Inaugural Symposium, 6 to 8
December 2004, Grand Regency Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya
Ex-Ante Evaluation of Nutrition and Health Benefits of Biofortified Cassava Roots in Nigeria: The Dalys
Approach
Manyong, V.M.1*, A.S. Bamire2, I.O. Sanusi3 and D.O. Awotide1
Victor M. Manyong, Agricultural Economist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Oyo Road, Idi-Ose
P.M.B. 5320 Ibadan, Nigeria, Tel: 234 2 241 2626, Cel phone: +234 803 334 3903
Fax: 234 2 241 2221, E-mail 1: v.manyong@cgiar.org, E-mail 2: victor_manyong@yahoo.com
Abstract: Cassava is a major staple that supplies more than 50% of daily energy to more than 200 million persons in
sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Cassava roots are known to be low in micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc.
Micronutrient deficiencies threaten the lives of millions of poor households and those located in remote rural areas of
SSA often not targeted by fortification programmes. This paper presents results from an ex-ante evaluation of nutrition
and health benefits of increased vitamin A status of cassava roots through biofortification for at-risk-target-groups
using the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) approach. Results showed that Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) causes an
annual loss of about 553,000 years of “healthy” life in Nigeria with children constituting more than forty percent.
Biofortified cassava would reduce VAD by 4.42%, 11.73%, and 3.14% for children, pregnant women, and lactating
women respectively in the pessimistic scenario. Results for the optimistic scenario are 28.79%, 76.39, and 20.45%
respectively. The biofortification of cassava roots would result in annual gains of about 33,000 years of “healthy”life
and avert 166 child deaths per year for the pessimistic scenario and about 220,000 years life and 1272 child deaths per
year for the optimistic scenario. In economic