A Review of the Humanitarian Nutrition Response in North-East Nigeria
Emergency Nutrition Network, January 2021
Reports and Tools
Rapid response to nutrition crises must balance scale-up demands with support for existing systems and capacities. This requires strong coordination to ensure government ownership, prevent duplication of services, improve data quality, and track and forecast supply needs. Longer-term flexible donor funding to support greater integration of services, as well as efforts to simplify reporting and improve tools, supervision, and capacity-building approaches could improve service delivery.
Reviewing the UN Food Systems Summit with Agnes Kalibata
Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 2021
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
In her role as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy, Agnes Kalibata discusses outcomes of the UN Food Systems Summit, explains key issues affecting food systems, and discusses criticism of the Summit. She evaluates the United States’ $10 billion commitment to food security and describes what food security leadership should look like in the future. This is a podcast.
Revisiting the Evidence on Kwashiorkor Malnutrition
Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, October 2020
- Knowledge Management
Events
Researchers and practitioners review recent evidence related to kwashiorkor, including treatment, diet, and associated biochemical mechanisms, overt signs, and the metabolic and biochemical characterization of kwashiorkor. This is a series of three webinars.
Revisiting Humanitarian Action Early: Planting the Seeds for a New Generation
Early Childhood Development Action Network, June 2021
- Early Childhood Development
Reports and Tools
Analysis of Humanitarian and Refugee Response Plans indicates Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) recommendations are often not included. Advocates recommend increasing investments for pregnant women and their children in humanitarian contexts, building the frontline workforce and health services to support safe and healthy births, and applying the NCF in all phases of emergencies.
La Revolution des Algues: A Seaweed Revolution for a New Future in Sustainable Food Systems
World Fish Center, October 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
A new book suggests seaweed could play a significant role in increasing food and nutrition security; mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss; and increasing sustainable job creation, economic growth, and gender equality.
Revolutionizing Nutrition Financing
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, December 2021
- Knowledge Management
Events
Speakers from multiple sectors discuss the latest thinking, research, and experiences on designing and launching mechanisms to diversify nutrition funding. This is a webinar.
The Rising COVID Malnutrition Crisis
Standing Together For Nutrition, August 2021
Events
Modeling indicates that by 2022, there will be an additional 13.6 million severely malnourished children, 3.6 million more stunted children, and 283,000 additional deaths of children. Speakers, including USAID Chief Nutritionist Shawn Baker, discuss opportunities to integrate nutrition into global COVID-19 response and recovery plans. This is a webinar.
Risk of COVID-19 Complications in Children Affected by Wasting: A Joint Statement by UNICEF and the Global Nutrition Cluster
UNICEF and the Global Nutrition Cluster, April 2020
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Because children affected by wasting may be at higher risk of pneumonia related to COVID-19, this statement calls for their inclusion in the list of highly vulnerable groups. The authors caution that as countries develop COVID 19 response policies, strategies, and programs, it is critical that they do not underestimate the potential primary and secondary impact of COVID-19 on children. The statement suggests that countries intensify their efforts to prevent child wasting and sustain and adapt existing services for early detection and treatment of child wasting.
Risk Factors of Stunting and Wasting in Somali Pre-School Age Children: Results from the 2019 Somalia Micronutrient Survey
Donkor, William E.S., Joshua Mbai, Fatmata Sesay, et al. BMC Public Health, February 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Young children in severely food insecure households, as well as children with inflammation and iron deficiency, had a higher risk of stunting. While wasting risk increased as household wealth decreased, it was lower in iron-deficient children than in iron-replete children. Wasting was also more common in children with recent diarrhea.
Risks of BMS Products, Baby Feeding Cues, and Newborns’ Nine Instinctive Stages
Alive & Thrive, August 2021
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
Materials focus on the risk of bottles, pacifiers, and formula to breastfeeding and introduce baby feeding cues and nine instinctive stages to breastfeeding. Infographics are available in Burmese, English, and Vietnamese while videos are available in English and Vietnamese.
The Role of Micronutrients in Child Growth and Development
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition Webinar Series, May 2021
Events
Speakers discuss the relationship between micronutrient deficiencies in mothers and children and how evidence-based interventions and nutrition policy can help alleviate micronutrient malnutrition. This is a webinar.
Role of Pediatricians, Pediatric Associations, and Academic Departments in Ensuring Optimal Early Childhood Development Globally: Position Paper of the International Pediatric Association
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, October/November 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Reports and Tools
The International Pediatric Association calls for prioritizing early childhood development in routine pediatric care, identifies challenges to doing so, and proposes strategies and resources to overcome them. This paper is behind a paywall.
Safe and Nutritious Food: Fortifying Systems to Deliver at Scale
AgriLinks, June 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
Delivering nutritious and safe food requires government institutions with strong food regulatory and enforcement capacity to establish evidence-based standards and enable compliance, writes USAID Chief Nutritionist Shawn Baker. The private sector needs greater capacity, commitment, and access to financing.
Safeguarding Progress towards Improved Nutrition During the COVID-19 Pandemic: USAID Partner Experiences
USAID Advancing Nutrition, August 2020
- Food Systems
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Events
USAID implementing partners from several countries in Africa and Asia described country-specific efforts to respond to shocks due to COVID-19. Examples include business cooperation between online foodservice delivery platforms and local dairy processors, online cattle trading systems, procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment to thousands of female community health volunteers, new phone infrastructure to report domestic violence, new COVID-19 episodes to augment current radio programming, and the use of megaphones to deliver nutrition messaging door to door.
The Sahel Integrated Resilience Programme & Scale Up 2023–2028
World Food Programme, February 2023
- Capacity Strengthening
Reports and Tools
Accomplishments of this program include increased and diversified crop and livestock production, increased access to markets and community capacity to withstand seasonal shocks and stresses, and reduced distress migration. It has also improved children’s health and nutrition; women’s empowerment; and water, sanitation, health, and education services. Future efforts include strengthening program integration and access to land, reinforcing linkages with local energy and water investments, enhancing local food system investments, and strengthening social cohesion.
Samantha Power Announces USAID Africa Localization Initiative
Devex, September 2022
- Capacity Strengthening
Reports and Tools
The Africa Localization Initiative will direct 25 percent of USAID’s program budget to local organizations based in sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure more equitable and sustainable development outcomes, communities will lead program design, implementation, or evaluation for at least 50 percent of programming.
Sample Sizes for Saturation in Qualitative Research: A Systematic Review of Empirical Tests
Hennink, Monique, Bonnie N. Kaiser. Social Science & Medicine, January 2022
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Results provide empirical guidance on effective sample sizes for qualitative research, which can be used in conjunction with characteristics of individual studies to estimate an appropriate sample size.
Scale Up of Maternal Nutrition Interventions Strengthens Antenatal Care in Ethiopia
Alive & Thrive, December 2022
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Reports and Tools
This evaluation found improved coverage of maternal nutrition topics among women in Ethiopia who attended antenatal care visits and high levels of health worker satisfaction with the intervention package. Facilities could better utilize home visits and engage husbands and other household members to support pregnant women.
Scaling Up Breastfeeding Policy and Programs in Samoa: Application of the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative
Soti-Ulberg, Christina, Amber Hromi-Fiedler, Nicola L Hawley, et al. International Breastfeeding Journal, January 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
This evidence-informed initiative provides countries with a practical toolbox to assess and scale breastfeeding policies and programs. Work in Samoa yielded important policy recommendations, including the development and implementation of a National Breastfeeding Policy and Strategic Action Plan, identification of high-level advocates to serve as champions, and the creation of a national budget line for breastfeeding activities.
Scaling up Micronutrient Interventions in Nigeria
The Society for Implementation Science in Nutrition, February 2023
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Events
Speakers discussed the Society for Implementation Science in Nutrition’s strategic plan and share the background and current status of the micronutrient powder/multiple micronutrient supplements implementation science study in Nigeria. This is a webinar.
School Health and Nutrition Microlearnings Toolkit
Child Health Task Force, October 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
The toolkit provides multimedia resources on key school health and nutrition interventions and strategies to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration and co-investment to improve students’ well-being and learning.
School-Based Health and Nutrition Interventions Addressing Double Burden of Malnutrition and Educational Outcomes of Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review
Shinde, Sachin, Dongqing Wang, Gretchen E. Moulton, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, March 2023
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
This review highlights the need for contextually appropriate, integrated, and multi-component school-based interventions to address all forms of malnutrition and improve education outcomes among adolescents.
The Science Behind the First 1,000 Days: Linking Nutrition, Brain Development, and Nurturing Care
USAID Advancing Nutrition, September 11, 2019
- Early Childhood Development
Events
The first 1,000 days between conception and a child’s second birthday is a period of unique development, representing both risk and opportunity. The foundation for a child’s brain is laid during this time, with 799 new neural connections established every second, making it especially vulnerable to external factors, including optimal nutrition, strong social support, and secure attachment. Enhancing the linkages among good nutrition, brain development, and nurturing care can strengthen multi-sectoral programming to improve health and development outcomes. In this webinar, Dr. Sarah Cusick, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, provided an overview of how nutrient deficiency in the first 1,000 days can lead to long-term dysfunction and how application of the general principles of nutrient and brain interaction can help inform programming. Patricia Jodrey from USAID’s Child Health Team provided further context through the lens of the Nurturing Care Framework.
Scope and Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies for Promoting Breastmilk Substitutes
World Health Organization, April 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
Findings raise significant concerns about the use of powerful digital marketing techniques to influence mothers’ feeding decisions. The report and webinar are available in Arabic, English, French, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.