CGIAR COVID-19 Hub
CGIAR, June 2020
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
This collection captures research about the threats to health systems, food security, local businesses, national economies, and reaching Sustainable Development Goals; and harnesses knowledge for emergency response, recovery, and resilience. Focus areas include addressing value chain fractures, using a One Health approach to COVID-19 responses, supporting country COVID-19 responses, and addressing food system fragility.
Challenges and Opportunities in Measuring Knowledge Management Results and Development Impact (Part 2)
Knowledge Management for Development Journal, September 2020
- Knowledge Management
Research Articles
These papers discuss a framework for measuring the impact of organizational learning and adaptive management, the benefits of using a relative return on investment paradigm, knowledge management (KM) solutions as applied to work processes, measuring KM capacities to strengthen health systems, the institutionalization of KM strategies in agricultural research, and the use of critical discourse analysis for policy analysis and mentoring in KM.
Changing Behavior, Attitudes, and Beliefs About Food Safety: A Scoping Review of Interventions Across the World and Implications for Empowering Consumers
Bass, Sarah Bauerle, Jesse Brajuha, Patrick J. Kelly, et al. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, January 2022
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
While consumers are targeted for interventions to address knowledge gaps about food safety and behaviors that can reduce risk, there are no comprehensive analyses of these interventions. It is critical to understand how interventions could be expanded to include relationships between consumers and other actors in the food system, as well as how targeted communication strategies could affect behavior. Focusing on risk perception and strategies that leverage emotion and trusted sources may be useful.
The Changing Face of Malnutrition: The State of the World’s Children 2019
UNICEF, October 2019
- Food Systems
- Knowledge Management
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
This year, UNICEF’s flagship report focuses on children, food, and nutrition, providing new data and analysis on malnutrition and making recommendations for keeping food systems anchored in children’s rights. Examining the “triple burden” of malnutrition—undernutrition, hidden hunger, and overweight—the report describes the “broken food system” at the center of the problem and the economic costs of malnutrition. It is accompanied by regional briefs and an interactive web feature.
Characteristics Associated with the Transition to Partial Breastfeeding Prior to 6 Months of Age: Data from Seven Sites in a Birth Cohort Study
Richard, Stephanie A., Benjamin J. J. McCormick, Laura E. Murray-Kolb, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, March 2021
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
A higher weight-for-length of the child, recent coughing, and food insecurity were associated with slower transition to partial breastfeeding, while a higher maternal depressive symptom score was associated with earlier transition to partial breastfeeding. Further research is needed to understand the relationships between local perceptions of infant body size and decisions about breastfeeding.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the UK: A Prospective National Cohort Study Using Active Surveillance
Gale, Chris, Maria A. Quigley, Anna Placzek, et al. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, November 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
This study, conducted among babies with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first 28 days of life who received inpatient care, found that infection following birth to a mother with perinatal SARS-CoV-2 infection was unlikely, and vertical transmission rare. This supports current international guidance to avoid separation of mother and baby.
Child Alert: Severe Wasting
UNICEF, May 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Donors should fully fund the scale-up of early prevention and treatment, provide multi-year funding, and ensure that budgets include ready-to-use therapeutic food allocations. Governments should integrate early prevention and treatment programs into national primary health and nutrition care systems and services—and protect child nutrition investments from budget cuts. The report is available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Two webinars accompany the report.
Child Diet and Mother–Child Interactions Mediate Intervention Effects on Child Growth and Development
Bliznashka, Lilia, Dana C. McCoy, Saima Siyal, et al. Maternal and Child Nutrition, April 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Child diet and mother–child interactions improved children's cognitive, language, and motor development and had indirect effects on socio-emotional development. Leveraging these interactions may improve intervention effects on child outcomes.
Child Food Poverty: A Nutrition Crisis in Early Childhood
UNICEF, October 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
This brief and accompanying database provides detailed country-specific data about children experiencing food poverty and severe food poverty and discusses how metrics have changed over time.
Child Health Redesign
The BMJ, March 2021
Research Articles
Greater understanding of the interconnectedness of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health led the World Health Organization and UNICEF to shift away from an exclusive focus on under-5 survival and toward an integrated ecological life course perspective. Authors call for greater integration of disability in children and adolescents into the global health agenda.
Child Health Task Force Resource Library
Child Health Task Force, June 2021
Reports and Tools
This database hosts documents from agencies and organizations working on child health programming. Resources include journal articles, presentations, webinars, tools, and event materials.
Child Malnutrition in Afghanistan Amid a Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
Rahmat, Zainab Syyeda, Hania Mansoor Rafi, Arsalan Nadeem, et al. International Health, September 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, more than 3.3 million children are unable to afford basic food resources and the majority of the population faces starvation. Restrictions on humanitarian assistance, the withholding of vital food supplies, and inadequate medical care exacerbate malnutrition among vulnerable children. Greater global engagement is critical.
Child Nutrition in Disaster: A Scoping Review
Adeoya, Akindele Abimibayo, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Mikiko Fuda, et al. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, February 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
To ensure that children receive nutrition support in disaster to prevent malnutrition, this study recommends an explicit and well-coordinated approach that includes preparedness; advocacy; policy development; periodic nutritional assessments and nutritional support; and nutrition education for children, families, and aid workers. Research should examine food allergies in children and how nutrition impacts child mental health.
Child-Sensitive WASH Composite Score and the Nutritional Status in Cambodian Children
Manzoni, G., A. Laillou, C. Samnang, et al. Nutrients. September 2019. Vol. 11 No. 9
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Despite progress in health over the years in Cambodia, the number of malnourished children remains high, which may be associated in part with poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices. To address gaps in knowledge on the association between WASH practices and the nutritional status of children, this study analyzed the relationship between WASH child-sensitive composite scores and the wasting child anthropometry indicators. The authors found a significant association, reinforcing existing knowledge of the need to align WASH and nutrition practices.
Childcare Solutions: Changing Fathers’ Attitudes and Involvement in Care and Early Childhood Education
World Bank Group, April 2021
Events
Incentivizing fathers’ involvement in child-bearing practices can help ensure that children get appropriate care and can help facilitate higher female labor force participation. Speakers discuss policy interventions to influence engagement through behavioral approaches. This is a webinar.
Children Born during the Hunger Season are at a Higher Risk of Severe Acute Malnutrition: Findings from a Guinea Sahelian Ecological Zone in Northern Ghana
Nonterah, Engelbert A., Paul Welaga, Samuel T. Chatio, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, January 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Children born in the hunger season and with low birth weight are at higher risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Being female and of the Nankam ethno-linguistic group also increased the odds of SAM. A sustainable food supply to pregnant and lactating women through improved agriculture or food system change targeting the hunger season may reduce SAM.
Children Living with Disabilities Are Neglected in Severe Malnutrition Protocols: A Guideline Review
Engl, Magdalena, Paul Binns, Indi Trehan, et al. BMJ Journals, February 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Few international and national guidelines have detailed discussions of the specific needs of children living with disabilities, and only one mentioned strategies during nutritional emergencies. Interviews identified barriers related to medical complexity, resource constraints, epidemiology, and integration with existing guidelines and pointed to the need for better evidence to identify and integrate these children into nutrition programs.
Chronic Iron Deficiency and Cognitive Function in Early Childhood
Gingoyon, Argie, Cornelia M. Borkhoff, Christine Koroshegyi, et al. Pediatrics, November 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
After receiving oral iron, children with chronic iron deficiency demonstrated improved iron status, but continued to have lower cognitive scores compared with children with initial iron sufficiency. Future research could examine outcomes of a screening strategy for the early detection of iron deficiency using serum ferritin. This article is behind a paywall.
CLA in the Time of COVID-19: Adapting, Pivoting and Partnering to Maintain Nutrition Progress
United States Agency for International Development Learning Lab, October 2020
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
The USAID framework for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting supports partners to adapt during unanticipated challenges using real-time evidence. This blog post describes how USAID Advancing Nutrition used the CLA framework to create an internal COVID-19 task force and working groups that monitored and disseminated emerging information, synthesized best practices for virtual engagement, developed guidance for remote data collection, and helped project teams develop new skillsets to support quick pivots in operational and technical work in response to the pandemic.
The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis
UNICEF, August 2021
- Early Childhood Development
Reports and Tools
The Children’s Climate Risk Index measures the likelihood that climate and environmental shocks or stresses will lead to the erosion of development progress, the deepening of deprivation, and humanitarian crises affecting children or vulnerable households and groups. The document is available in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish. The executive summary is available in Hausa, Portuguese, Somali, Swahili, and Yoruba.
Climate Crisis and Nutrition: Examples from Niger
USAID, November 2021
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
USAID Chief Nutritionist Shawn Baker describes the Wadata program, which provides hands-on training in natural resource management, nutrition, food preparation with local ingredients, financial literacy, and interpersonal communication. Priority issues for nutrition and climate change include accelerating action to safeguard and improve nutrition of mothers and children; supporting food systems actions that reduce environmental impact while protecting and improving access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food; and supporting climate policies that reduce inequities caused by climate change.
A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Test Sharing Histories as a Training Method for Community Health Workers in Peru
Altobelli, Laura C., José Cabrejos-Pita, Mary Penny, et al. Global Health: Science and Practice, December 2020
Research Articles
The Sharing Histories training method, whereby community health workers (CHWs) recount their own childbearing and childrearing experiences, improved CHW effectiveness with literate mothers in reducing stunting. Stunting among children of illiterate mothers may have involved unaddressed determinants of stunting. The abstract is available in Spanish.
Collecting Quality Anthropometric Data in the DHS Program
The Demographic and Health Surveys Program, May 2020
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program has collected anthropometric (height and weight) data from children, women, and men for more than 30 years to help countries monitor and evaluate their progress in improving nutritional status. This blog provides an overview of the tools and processes DHS has developed to improve the collection of anthropometric data. It links to several studies and well-tested resources related to designing surveys using best practices for collecting anthropometric data, training fieldworkers to take accurate measurements, monitoring and improving anthropometric data in real-time, and communicating the quality of anthropometric data.
Combined IYCF with Small-Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplementation Is Associated with a Reduction in Anemia
Addo, O. Yaw, Lindsey M. Locks, Maria Elena Jefferds, et al. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Researchers analyzed data from 2,995 children after an intervention area received enhanced infant and young child feeding counseling and daily small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation for infants 6–12 months and a control area received the standard counseling package without the nutrient supplementation. The study found that the enhanced counseling and nutrient supplementation intervention using the existing health care delivery platform was associated with a reduction in prevalence of anemia and improvement in mean hemoglobin. There was no impact on stunting, wasting, and underweight indicators in the intervention or control groups, but children in the intervention group receiving three or more months of the nutrient supplementation showed improvements in length-for-age and weight-for-age scores as well as hemoglobin.