Report on the Student-Planned Lecture “Future Nutritionists, Broaden Your Perspective”

2019年5月28日更新

On May 28, 2019, the student organization Health for Dreams organized a lecture on developing country nutrition entitled “Future Nutritionists, Broaden Your Perspective: Hospital Meal Assistance in Cambodia.”

Speaker Tomoaki Nomura

The lecturer was Tomoaki Nomura, who set up a hospital meal scheme in a children’s hospital in Cambodia as a volunteer at the international medical NGO Japan Heart. He described the current status of medical care and nutrition in Cambodia, the assistance provided, the work of Japanese nutritionists operating in Cambodia, and his thoughts about that work.
Cambodia still bears various scars from the massacre of intellectuals conducted by the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s. This has also affected awareness of nutrition-related issues, with most hospitals having no concept of nutrition, no nutritionists, and no hospital meals. As a result, at the hospital where Japan Heart provides medical assistance, children with cancer whose immune systems are compromised were eating unhygienic food sold at stalls, which was slowing their post-operative recovery. Preparations are now being made to begin supplying hospital meals. Students attending the lecture commented that learning about a nutrition situation different from that of Japan had broadened their perspective, and many also said that along with the actual assistance, they had also been moved by Mr. Nomura’s passion for his work.

Participants pose for a post-event photo

In addition to the lecture, there was also a great groupwork session in which 36 people participated.
Health for Dreams was just launched in April this year, taking as its mission “exploring the current situation whereby some children are not properly nourished because of their home environments, and engaging with this issue.” It holds workshops and lectures about nutrition for developing country children as well as children living in poverty in Japan, and I hope everyone will also support these activities.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Global Collaboration Center teachers and staff, who gave us a huge amount of support in arranging this event.

(Yuriko Kamiyama, 2nd year student,
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences)