From Evidence to Action: Uniting Around Nutrition in the 1000-Day Window
American Journal of Public Health, October 2022
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Reports and Tools
Improving nutrition security in the first 1,000 days requires long term investment in early childhood development, better integration of nutrition issues in the healthcare system, greater attention to nutrition among donors, and comprehensive implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Increased surveillance of pregnant and nursing people and young children is also critical.
From Food Price Crisis to an Equitable Food System
Hawkes, Corinna, Ramya Ambikapathi, Kim Anastasiou, et al. The Lancet, July 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
Well-designed emergency cash and food distribution programs, social safety nets, school food programs, integrated nutrition interventions, and universal health care can improve outcomes for those facing food insecurity and malnutrition. These programs can also improve gender equality and climate change resilience. Addressing entrenched power inequalities, short-term political imperatives, fragmented government, and an economic system that incentivizes cheap food while building collective agency of those most affected is critical. Create a free account and log in to read this article.
From Outpost to Health Post
USAID, February 2023
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
During the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID MOMENTUM worked with 53 facilities in Sierra Leone to make structural improvements; introduce infection prevention and control standards; improve water, sanitation, and hygiene. These efforts produced safer spaces, increased service scope, and improved patient attendance.
From Programs to Policies: Translating Nutrition Indicators
1,000 Days, March 2021
Events
Programmers often need technical, project-specific data to evaluate the effectiveness of an evaluation, while advocates frequently use more easily explicable data to illustrate trends at the macro level. Presenters discuss the difficulties of aligning these data and whether there are more effective ways to do so to better ensure nutrition data are useful and accurate both on the ground and at the policy level. This is a two-part webinar.
Frontline Nutrition Services: Roles, Responsibilities, and Pre-Service Training
USAID Advancing Nutrition, December 2022
- Capacity Strengthening
Reports and Tools
Findings identify competencies that pre-service curricula may not currently address and provide a roadmap to develop tailored, country- and cadre-specific updates to policies, protocols, pre-service training curricula, job descriptions, qualifications, and certification tools.
Future Food Systems: For People, Our Planet, and Prosperity
The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, September 2020
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
Food systems require fundamental transformation to promote sustainable healthy diets for all, and must focus on food availability, accessibility, affordability, and desirability. While much focus is on low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), high-income countries also have a vital role, particularly when their decisions affect LMICs. Policies must make sustainable, nutrient-rich, and staple goods available to all, ensure value chains improve accessibility and lower costs, and empower consumers to make informed choices to increase demand for healthy, sustainable diets.
GAIN Podcast Series: Fostering a Culture of Food Safety
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, June 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
Speakers discuss what it means to foster a culture of food safety and how to build one to reduce the burden of foodborne disease. This is a podcast.
Gaps in the Implementation and Uptake of Maternal Nutrition Interventions in Antenatal Care Services in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and India
Sanghvi, Tina, Phuong H. Nguyen, Manisha Tharaney, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, November 2021
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Nutrition gaps in antenatal care services include lack of specificity in national guidelines and protocols, bottlenecks in micronutrient supplies, low provider knowledge and skills, inadequate supervision to reinforce counseling, and inadequate family engagement. National protocols should be more specific about key nutrition interventions and assign accountability for coverage and quality. Country models to improve provision and utilization of nutrition interventions based on comprehensive policy frameworks are critical.
Gender Accommodative Versus Transformative Approaches: A Comparative Assessment within a Post-Harvest Fish Loss Reduction Intervention
Cole, Steven M., Alexander M. Kaminski, Cynthia McDougall, et al. Gender, Technology and Development, March 2020
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
A gender transformative approach encourages critical awareness of gender norms, challenges gender-based work and resource allocations, and addresses power relationships between women and others in the community. It encourages women and men to jointly identify shifts in norms or behaviors they would like to see and provides space to test new ways of engaging. Development programs that do not address gendered power dynamics and women’s decision-making capacities fail to maximize the impact of their activities.
Gender and Cash Study
World Food Program, February 2019
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
The World Food Program is increasingly relying on cash-based transfers to assist food insecure populations. This analysis used a desk review, fieldwork and case studies, a practitioner survey, and a learning workshop to explore how cash-based interventions affect gender equality and women’s empowerment. The authors determined that while cash transfers alone are insufficient, cash-based interventions combined with other program activities—such as social and behavior change, skills training, and access to services—reinforce and enhance gender equity and empowerment.
Gender Differences in Child Nutrition Status of Bangladesh: A Multinomial Modeling Approach
Haq, Iqramul, Md. Ismail Hossain, Mst. Moushumi Parvin, et al. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, June 2021
Research Articles
A mother’s education level, wealth, early child development, child disability, reading children's books, and diarrhea all had a statistically significant effect on moderate and severe malnutrition for both female and male children. Fever and rural residence were also significant in the female child model, while region and a mother’s functional difficulties were significant in the male child model.
Gender Inclusivity is Not Gender Neutrality
Journal of Human Lactation, June 2021
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
Authors call for examining how the gendering of breastfeeding, infant feeding, caregiving, and nurturing align with the social distribution of power, authority, and resources in ways that reinforce gender inequality in political, economic, and social status.
Gender Training for Nutrition Programs Package
USAID Advancing Nutrition, March 2021
Reports and Tools
Training and supporting materials prepare participants to identify key gender concepts, describe why gender analysis is important, explain how to conduct a gender analysis, and complete a gender integration action plan.
Gendered Time, Seasonality, and Nutrition: Insights from Two Indian Districts
Rao, Nitya, S. Raju. Feminist Economics. July 2019.
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
Using primary data from two Indian districts, collected as part of the Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) study, researchers examined the effect of work burdens on agricultural and nutritional outcomes. Their analyses identified the two pathways by which women’s agricultural work negatively affects household nutrition: lack of adequate time for care work in peak agricultural seasons, primarily due to intensified work burden, and the seasonal energy deficits that adversely affect their own health.
Generating Demand for Healthy Diets: A Guide to Social Marketing in Nutrition
USAID Advancing Nutrition, November 2023
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
The guide provides practical advice, examples, and resources for planning and executing social marketing campaigns to improve nutrition outcomes.
Generating Demand for Healthy Diets: A Guide to Social Marketing in Nutrition
USAID Advancing Nutrition, December 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
This guide provides practical advice, examples, and resources for planning and executing a successful social marketing campaign to improve nutrition outcomes.
Geospatial Modelling of Changes and Inequality in Nutrition Status Among Children in Mali
Benedict, Rukundo K., Benjamin K. Mayala, Jean de Dieu Bizimana, et al. The Demographic and Health Surveys Program, April 2020
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Results from 2006 and 2018 studies using geospatial modelling techniques show that children’s minimum dietary diversity, mother’s education, and mother’s body mass index are strongly associated with stunting, while children’s minimum dietary diversity and aridity are associated with wasting. Geospatial modelling may help the Government of Mali target programming at lower administrative levels and inform the allocation of resources and program implementation.
Getting Food Systems Right from the Start: How They are Failing Young Children and What We Can Do About It?
Deakin University, United Nations Children’s Fund, Alive & Thrive, Helen Keller International, and Feed the Truth, June 2021
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Events
Infant and young child feeding practices are normally seen as individual behavior health practices to be protected by health systems interventions. However, globalization of the baby food industry, and the shift of labor and production out of the home, has shaped feeding decisions. Preventing unethical formula marketing, reducing unhealthy ingredients in formula and complementary foods, and instituting marketing restrictions for unhealthy commercial products consumed by infants and young children are important interventions. This is a webinar.
Getting Practical: Integrating Social Norms into Social and Behavior Change Programs
Breakthrough ACTION, January 2021
Reports and Tools
While social and behavior change program implementers may be aware that social norms are powerful influencers of behaviors and outcomes, many are unsure about how to integrate social norms-shifting programming into program design. The Getting Practical: Integrating Social Norms into Social and Behavior Change Programs tool was developed for country-level program planners, designers, and monitoring and research staff to address gaps between formative social norms research and other phases of the program design cycle to allow for adaptive programming. This is a webinar.
Getting to 2030: Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Technical Roadmap
USAID, November 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
This roadmap supports a coordinated, strategic approach to strengthening essential services and health systems for women and children and informs the development, measurement, and adjustment of country level strategic plans.
Giving Children the Best Start in Life: Resources, Experiences, and Lessons Learned from USAID Advancing Nutrition’s Work Integrating Nutrition, Responsive Care, and Early Learning
Child Health Task Force, August 2023
- Early Childhood Development
Events
USAID Advancing Nutrition speakers discuss why and how they developed the Responsive Care and Early Learning (RCEL) Addendum and the results and lessons learned. The webinar also highlights the Ages and Stages Reference Package and Online Toolkit, which builds on the RCEL Addendum and UNICEF’s Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Package, to help implementers design and implement holistic and integrated programming. This is a webinar and has an accompanying slide deck.
Giving Voice to the Silent Burden: Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation
USAID MOMENTUM, September 2021
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Events
Common perinatal mental disorders have significant and lasting implications for women’s health and quality of life, as well as newborn health and development. Experts from several related fields discuss necessary interventions to ensure that pregnant and postpartum women receive respectful and nurturing care. This is a webinar.
A Global Call to Action for Gender-Inclusive Data Collection and Use
RTI International, December 2021
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
Binary representation of cisgender female and male populations perpetuates marginalization and discrimination of transgender and gender-nonconforming people and limits the ability to serve the needs of all. Authors call for a shift to using multinomial gender-disaggregation, particularly for surveyors, researchers, program implementers, policy makers, and gender rights advocates.
Global Capacity Needs Assessment Methodology: Integrating Nutrition Objectives Into Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Programmes and Policies
Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services, September 2021
- Capacity Strengthening
Reports and Tools
The methodology examines capacity gaps and opportunities to strengthen individual, organizational, and enabling-environment capacities to integrate nutrition objectives and outcomes into agricultural programs and policies. It also identifies knowledge gaps in training materials on nutrition-sensitive agriculture. It is available in English and French.