Health Officials Draw Blood Samples From Schoolchildren For Mopane Worm Porridge Research... Parents Outraged

Some parents and guardians in the Mawane area, Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, say a group of people collected blood samples from their children at school without fully explaining the purpose of the procedure.

One of the parents who spoke to NewsDay but declined to be named said they did not understand the move as there was no communication to that effect. Said the parent:

The thing that worries me the most is that these people just came and took blood samples from our children without educating us on the purpose of the research.

No one explained in simpler terms what it was all about. The children who participated were just being given 500 grammes of mopani worms’ porridge.

However, the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) said a parental consent form stated that the purpose was to investigate the fruitfulness of the mopane worm porridge.

This is part of the national school feeding programme. The text on the form read:

You are being asked to allow your child to participate in a feeding trial to investigate the effectiveness of edible insect-based porridge and improve the micro-nutrient and nutritional status of children aged between 7 and 13 years in Gwanda, Zimbabwe.

If you decide to allow your child to participate, the child will be receiving a millet instant porridge supplement for 6 months.

There will be taking of body measurements as well as blood samples at the start and the end of the 6 months.

Blood samples will be taken to determine the level of nutrients (proteins, lipids and mineral micronutrients including iron, and zinc) in the body.

The research is of minimal to no risk. Slight discomfort may be encountered on the insertion of the needle on blood collection, which causes a pinch.

In rare cases, taking blood samples can lead to a slight reddening of the skin, and minor bruising or inflammation.

Nurses will carry out the specialised procedures to minimise any risk.

NewsDay could not be established whether parents had signed the consent form.

According to MRCZ, about 180 children aged between 7 and 11 years will participate in the study.

University of Zimbabwe medical doctor, Prosper Chopera, said the participating learners were also tested for anaemia. He said:

The research was approved by the Ministry of Health. The children were also tested for anaemia but none of them had.

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