ABSTRACT
The data explained in the relevant report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. Transforming Food Systems for Affordable Healthy” (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, Rome 2020) reveals that the world is not on track to achieve the SDG 2.1 (“Universal access to safe and nutritious food”) and SDG 2.2 (“End of all forms of malnutrition”), both Zero Hunger of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (“End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”) targets by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would increase further. The combination of moderate and more severe levels of food insecurity raises the estimate to over 25% of the world population, equivalent to a total of about 2 billion people. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of global food systems and of all the activities and processes affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of food so that this circumstance further questions the achievement of the goal Zero Hunger. A very important tool to successfully tackle this serious and long-standing problem is represented by nutraceutical products and in the rehabilitation of severe patients and undernourished children, the “ready-to-use therapeutic foods” (RUTFs) have shown remarkable efficacy. They refer to a number of varieties of ready-to-eat foods, ranging from those prepared from locally available ingredients by village women in their own self-help groups for the malnourished children to those prepared according to specific formulas in worldwide factories. RUTF now almost always refers to the latter and it is a generic term including different types of foodstuff, such as spreads or compressed products with precise amounts of nutrients, mainly derived from powdered milk, peanut, oil, sugar, and micronutrients, providing energy equivalent to WHO requirement. However, the local availability of the necessary ingredients limits the production in geographical areas where their use is required, thus there are currently important efforts in the research for alternative ingredients to overcome this limitation. The purpose of this study is to trace the current scenario in terms of food security and malnutrition in the world, focusing attention on the problems associated with the dissemination of initiatives aimed at addressing such a global challenge. The research was conducted following the tripartition model both in the analysis of the problem and in the proposed answer model, although the business perspective was the privileged one. Encouraging the proper and effective implementation of an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable local market for RUTFs means creating shared values, acting jointly, and maximizing the results in favour of children and their families who are still fighting for the right to live in dignity.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of general practitioners has determined a strong pressure on the Italian health system. This critical issue highlighted the fundamental support of e-health services not only to lighten the workload of doctors, but also to offer patients a health service tailored to real needs. Therefore, the digital engagement platforms represent a valid aid, as they reconcile the efficiency needs of the healthcare system with the benefits for the patients involved. In this perspective, little is known about the main factors associated with use of telemonitoring platforms and their effectiveness. This paper investigates the critical success factors of telemonitoring platforms during COVID-19 in order to understand the mechanisms underlying patient participation with the health engagement platforms. METHODS: An exploratory factor analysis was used to explain the main dimensions of patient participation in the COVID-19 telemonitoring. A sample of 119 patients with a suspected or confirmed infection was used in the investigation. Moreover, an analysis of variance was calculated to identify the differences between three types of patients (infected, uninfected, with suspected infection) and verify the effectiveness of the platform. MAIN FINDINGS: There are six main factors underlying the use of the COVID-19 telemonitoring platform. "Self-Health Engagement" emerges as a novel factor. Moreover, compared to other platforms, cognitive engagement is a crucial trigger for effective telemonitoring. DISCUSSION: By identifying the main triggers involved in the use of health engagement platforms, we can improve the satisfaction of telemonitoring services for appropriate health-crisis management. Furthermore, the COVID-19 telemonitoring platform appears to improve health management for both patients and health care providers as it provides the patient with the necessary tools for Self-Health Management (SHM), as well as helping to enrich the literature on health care. CONCLUSION: A new construct emerges in the study of digital telemonitoring platforms: "health self-engagement", that is, an engagement based on self-care that demonstrates the decisive role assumed by both digital technology and patient participation in self-management.