Also, the role of village weaning foods was extensively discussed. Village weaning food programmes should be based on local weaning recipes. A number of serious individual family member problems are therefore not taken into consideration. From this table it is easy to conclude that many sectors have to cooperate to remove or minimize the constraints. Family Level For commercial weaning foods at the family level, cost, acceptability, and availability are the major constraints, but lack of knowledge, improper control of budget, associated with low purchasing power and generalized poverty, often compound the constraints.
Low sanitation leading to diseases and poor production is equally important.
Homemade weaning foods are affected by constraints very similar to those above, but in addition, the laborious and time-consuming methods of preparing these foods, coupled with shortage of suitable utensils, storage facilities, etc. form strong constraints against these foods. Village Level Many villages have no organizational structure to handle weaning foods activities, and where some kind of organization exists, the attention given to weaning foods is minimal or at times negative. Improper and inadequate communication with families on the one hand and with the national decision-makers on the other, is also a major constraint, just as are the other constraints mentioned at the family level. A vertical approach to the malnutrition problem by the various sectors has tended to sustain and increase constraints. Lack of sufficient funds and trained staff, insufficiency of relevant and reliable data, and the poor technology available to weaning food makers at home and in industry, make it almost impossible to encourage the preparation and manufacture of such foods.