• African
  • Nutrition
  • Society

  • About ANS

    (en Francais)

    Established in 2008, the African Nutrition Society (ANS) is a registered scientific professional body, a learned society formed by nutritional scientists, food scientists and other health professionals working in, and with an interest in the nutrition agenda for Africa. ANS was established as an umbrella organization among others, to develop and promote the nutrition profession in Africa and to oversee the Africa Nutritional Epidemiology Conferences (ANEC) which have been running since 2002.

    As a professional learned society, ANS seeks first and foremost to promote the ideals of food and nutritional sciences as a subject allied to medicine and central to sound health policies and the attainment of optimum population health. The interests of individual members in playing their roles in promoting the nutritional well being of the communities they serve are therefore paramount. The standards of scientific training, attainment, research capability and sound professional practice are essential ingredients of any professional body of repute and ANS seeks to promote and ensure that its members meet the highest standards of professional practice.

    Although established in Africa, membership of ANS is worldwide and open to nutritionists and other professionals with a genuine interest in nutrition and how it impacts on human and economic development in Africa.

    ANS Vision

    To create a unified continental nutrition profession of individual members, provide a continental professional scientific forum, promote training, research and capacity building in nutrition and contribute to workforce development to meet Africa’s nutrition and health policy agenda.

    ANS Mission Statement

    ANS seeks to promote collegiality and bring together individuals across Africa and other parts of the world to work together towards building and promoting the nutrition profession and practice in Africa. Our ultimate goal is to provide a home for nutritional scientists and other allied professionals, and contribute to programmes and projects aimed at improving nutrition in Africa and reducing the burden of disease. 

    The Domains of ANS Activities

    The ANS seeks to promote professionalism, a strong sense of belonging and intellectual interactions across all regions, cultures and languages, provide the best forum for students, graduates and professionals alike to identify the richness of our cultural diversity as well as discover the great similarities that exist in our professional interests, shared values and the nutritional issues we confront in our various countries. This is achieved by providing a scientific platform for individuals to meet, interact and form professional collaborations and student networks through a meaningful scientific dialogue and sharing of best practices. ANS also works to promote standards of scientific training, attainment, research capability and sound professional practice and leadership necessary to drive nutrition and health policy across countries. The means to meeting the goals for these core activities are embedded in the following core activities:

    • ANS (ANEC) Conferences and Training Workshops
    • ANS News and Events
    • Development of a professional practice framework leading to professional registration and accreditation
    • Curriculum development, harmonisation and accreditation of nutrition programmes in Africa
    • Capacity Building and scientific development projects
    • Public-private Partnerships and Linkages with the scientific and academic communities, industry, non-governmental organisations and international agencies for the benefit of ANS members and the wider public interest
    • Publications to promote intellectual and research outputs across Africa e.g. through relevant and high quality scholarly articles to be published in the African Journal of Nutrition (AJN), ANS’ official journal

    We value and rely on a solid scientific basis to the study and practice of nutrition, integrity, objectivity, inclusiveness and a strong focus on promoting and developing the nutrition scientists of the future, whilst tapping into the experience, knowhow and intellectual wisdom of established and world-renowned scientists to meet our core objectives.    We have developed strong partnerships with other learned bodies and nutrition foundations and federations in Africa, Europe and North America and hope to further broaden these links in other parts of the world. We are working to establish a strong funding base to enable us meet the needs of our members as well as help us run our planned projects for the promotion of nutritional science, public health and the public good in Africa. Our members have an important role to play in tackling the health challenges relating to poverty, chronic hunger and malnutrition as well as the challenges of chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa.

    We have forged, and are seeking to broaden partnerships with international charities, NEPAD, WHO, FAO, the World Bank and other UN organizations seeking to build intellectual capacity and the health workforce in Africa.  We attach substantial value to such collaborations and partnerships and hope that we can extend our influence to add value to the work that these organizations do without compromising our independence, objectivity and neutrality.

    ANS Governance Framework

    Although the African Nutrition Society (ANS) is a registered, independent scientific professional body built on strong core values. Our values and ethical principles are clearly spelt out in our Articles of Association, posted on the membership pages of our website.

    ANS Annual Report

    Past Reports of ANS conference and other activities are published and disseminated to our partners and sponsors and can be downloaded from our website. 

    ANS Accounts

    The audited accounts for ANS activities are kept by the treasury team and will be made available upon request. We plan to post all accounts and make them downloadable from our website. 

    External Relations

    ANS values its relations with other scientific learned societies and international organizations. We are an affiliate body of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) whose support has been helpful in our early development.

    Our other partners include the Nevin Scrimshaw International Nutrition Foundation (USA) , the Nutrition Society (UK) and Unilever Global. Other partnerships at an early stage of development include GAIN and the International Malnutrition Taskforce (IMTF). We have very strong and close working relationships with the Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS), Africa Nutrition Leadership Programme (ANLP and PLAN, the Francophone equivalent) and the African Graduates in Nutrition Network (AGSNet).

    We are seeking to expand our external relations and to develop meaningful partnerships with the federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS), the New Development Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), UN agencies( including WHO, SCN, FAO, World Bank, UNICEF, WFP), Charities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with a nutrition and development focus as well as industrial partners with whom we share common values.

    ANS Awards and Fellowships

    The Nevin Scrimshaw Award

    Instituted in 2008, this is a prestigious award conferred on individuals who have a proven track record of distinguished services to international nutrition. This award is given in collaboration with the Nevin Scrimshaw International Nutrition Foundation (NS-INF) in recognition of Scrimshaw’s pioneering work in international nutrition.

    The ANEC Award

    This is a special award given by the African Nutrition Society (ANS) to an individual within Africa who has a proven track record of services to nutrition and health in Africa. Such individuals are normally nominated by the ANEC host country.

    Former Recipients of the ANEC Award

    • 2006: Prof (Emeritus) Fred Sai, (Ghana) for distinguished services to reproductive health and child nutrition
    • 2008: Prof (Emeritus) Mamdour Gabr (Egypt) for distinguished services to nutrition and health in the Mediterranean region

    ANEC Travel Fellowships

    ANEC seeks and provides a number of travel fellowships to enable deserving individuals and especially young scientists attend ANEC conferences and training workshops. Over the last four years, ANEC has helped to administer between 40 to 50 travel fellowships. The conditions for receipt of fellowships are usually spelt out with the fellowship and conference announcement and are purely based on merit.

    ANS Projects

    ANS seeks to build a research and projects portfolio through the award of a certain percentage of its conference proceeds to the local organizing committee to undertake a specifically named project and to report the outcomes to the next conference. To support this process and other new projects, ANS seeks to identify funding partners to support research and capacity building projects and activities.

    ANS Leadership Team

    ANS President

    The African Nutrition Society is delighted to have Professor Wilna Oldewage-Theron as its honorary president after Prof. Anna Lartey who has recently become the President-Elect of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS).

    ANS Board of  Trustees

    Dr Paul Amuna MB ChB, MMed Sci FRSM, RPHNutr, consultant, International Nutrition & Public Health, University of Greenwich UK; Prof. Anna Lartey PhD, IDRC Research Chair in Nutrition for Health and Socio-Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, University of Ghana; Rev. Tom Ndanu MPhil, Nutritionist & Biostatistician, University of Ghana Dental School; Prof. Wilna Oldewage-Theron, Director, Institute of Sustainable Livelihoods, Vaal University of Technology, South Africa; Dr Habiba Wassef,  PhD, Nutrition Consultant, Cairo, Egypt; Dr. Francis Bruno Zotor PhD FHEA, RPHNutr, Public Health Nutritionist, University of Greenwich, UK.

    ANS Support Staff

    We have a team of dedicated volunteers who work alongside the ANS leadership team to support professional development and administration of the organization.

    ANS Council and Honorary Officers

    The Honorary officers of the ANS Council and regional officers will be elected at the next General Meeting of the ANS to serve in various capacities for 2 years in the first instance.

    ANS Scientific Committees

    A team of international scientists are often assembled to serve on the international scientific committee of ANS and ANEC conferences. The composition of this team varies from conference to conference.

    ANS Working Groups

  • Membership

    (en Francais)

    Membership of the African Nutrition Society is open to any person who has an academic background in nutrition or related subjects including those allied to medicine with a genuine interest in the science of nutrition and its application to clinical and dietetic states, developmental biology and chronic disease, animal nutrition and health, the food industry, food security, nutrition and health policy. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in nutritional science and uphold the aims of ANS to protect, promote, advance and influence the scientific study and professional practice of nutrition in Africa.

    Membership is pan-African as well as international (worldwide) and not restricted by language, race, colour, creed or nationality. All registered members of ANS will have equal voting rights and access to the benefits of membership.

    The African Nutrition Society is a purely non-partisan, non-political scientific learned society of individual members who share a common interest and the vision and mission of the organization. The ANS will therefore not allow its platform to be used for the advancement of any political or personal interests. All members must abide by the strict code of ethics defined in the articles of association (constitution) and under the Nutrition Profession in this document.

    Membership runs from January to December and to enjoy the full benefits, all members will be expected to renew their membership annually.

    Membership details

    Once registered, members are expected to inform the ANS of any changes in their details (including change of address, contact details, demographics, interests, job and workplace). Each member will have a membership number (and pass word) which will enable them access information on the membership pages at the ANS website (under construction). To access the membership pages or update your membership details, please click here (en Francais). You can also contact our Membership Office at info@answeb.org or telephone: +233 244 872410. Fax: +233 21513294i

    Membership Categories of the African Nutrition Society

    Full Membership

    Full members are nutrition or food / agricultural scientists, dieticians, biochemists and biomedical scientists, medical and veterinary professionals or other allied health professionals, research scientists or practitioners who meet the criteria for membership and who have fully paid up their annual subscription. Members who pay their subscription before December 31, can defer their membership until January 1 of the following year.

    NB Members of ANS should check in their country of origin if they qualify for tax relief on their subscriptions.

    Student and Graduate Membership

    Student members are students training in nutrition or food / agricultural sciences, biomedical science and biochemistry, dietetics, medicine or other allied health professionals, veterinary medicine or postgraduate research in nutrition or other related subjects. Applications by student-members would normally be supported by an accompanying letter from an academic tutor from a recognized institution of Higher Learning where the individual is a bonafide student. Students qualify for a reduced cost membership while in full time study. Student membership is intended for anyone who is an unwaged, full time student. If you are studying on a full time course you can apply for student membership. Student members enjoy most of the benefits of ANS membership including access to free on-line journals. They also have concessions for journal subscription and ANS workshop / conference fees, and may qualify to apply for ANS travel grants where these are available. New student members who pay their subscription for an academic year will need to renew their membership at the start of every new academic year of study e.g. September 2010 for the 2010 / 2011 academic year.

    Graduate Members are former student members who are recent graduates and qualify for a reduced cost membership for up to 2 years after graduation. New graduates can transfer from student to full membership automatically if they so wish. Graduates can transfer from student to graduate and full membership without the need to reapply for membership. They will however be expected to upgrade their membership. Graduate members enjoy all the benefits of student members.

    Affiliate Membership

    Membership is open to individuals (and organizations) who belong to other fields of study or work e.g. subjects allied to medicine, the agro-food industry, media and other professional fields and who do not meet the criteria for full or student membership but express interest in participating in the activities of the Society. Affiliate members will enjoy most of the rights of membership but will have no voting rights on membership issues. If you are applying for affiliate membership, full details of your field of study or work, and appropriate accompanying reference letters of support will be required from your institution or organization. Affiliate membership is renewable annually in January of each year.

    Institutional Membership

    Membership is open to individuals (and organizations) who belong to other fields of study or work e.g. the agro-food industry, media and other professional fields and who do not meet the criteria for full or student membership but express interest in participating in the activities of the Society. Affiliate members will enjoy most of the rights of membership but will have no voting rights on membership issues. If you are applying for affiliate membership, full details of your field of study or work, and appropriate accompanying reference letters of support will be required from your institution or organization. Affiliate membership is renewable annually in January of each year.

    Concessionary and Honorary Membership

    Full members who are eligible for lower rates include the retired individuals and those who are unwaged (all requests for concessionary membership rates have to be made and will be considered on their own merit). Members on concessionary rates will enjoy most benefits of members except where specified.

    Honorary members are those who have been invited by the African Nutrition Society to become members on the basis of Distinguished Services to Nutrition and / or other health, food, agriculture or related subjects and are recognized subject experts. Honorary membership is granted on the understanding that the individual can, and would make a substantial contribution to the promotion of the objectives and vision of the ANS. Honorary members enjoy most benefits of members except where specified.

    More information can be obtained here (en Francais) or by contacting us at info@answeb.org.

    Application Forms

    Membership application forms can be downloaded here (en Francais). Download and print the pdf application forms or complete the Word version online and send by email attachment to info@answeb.org

  • Contact Us

    • Dr. Francis Zotor, ANS General Secretary: francisfirst@gmail.com
    • Hayford Mawuli Avedzi (ANS Administrative Officer): mawulify@yahoo.com
    • General Information: info@answeb.org
    • Tel: +233-244186867; +233-244872410.
    • Fax: +2332151394.
    • ANS, a registered company limited by guarantee, registered in Ghana (Reg. No: 27604). Registered office: Accra, Ghana.
    • Address: P. O. Box K18, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana, West Africa.
    • ANS on Facebook ANS on LinkedIn ANS on Twitter ANS on Google Plus Email Us ANS RSS News Feed
  • ANS Staff Login
    Email:Password
Copyright © 2010, African Nutrition Society. All rights reserved.