USAID Advancing Nutrition develops, curates, packages, and shares multi-sectoral nutrition knowledge to help you stay on top of developments and evidence in global nutrition programming.
Health Chat Featuring USAID Chief Nutritionist Shawn Baker
Publication Date:
Knowledge ManagementAdolescent NutritionBreastfeedingCOVID-19Emergency NutritionFood SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient InterventionsNutrition Sensitive AgriculturePrivate-Sector Engagement
Increased investments to offset the consequences of COVID-19, expand social safety nets, and protect access to nutrition services, nutritious foods, and vitamin and mineral supplementation are critical. USAID’s Shawn Baker discusses the importance of closing financing gaps for private-sector engagement in the nutrition sector, and both stabilizing and reforming food systems for nutrition.
The summit focused on women’s rights to health and nutrition and new and transformative thinking, investments, and actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on nutrition and gender equality. This is a webinar. The recording is available in English, French, and Spanish.
U.S. Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan 2021–2026
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Knowledge ManagementAdolescent NutritionCOVID-19Food SafetyFood SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
This interagency effort works to strengthen the impact of diverse nutrition investments across the government through better communication and collaboration and by linking research to program implementation.
USAID Maternal Nutrition: Preventing Malnutrition in Women and Girls
Publication Date:
Knowledge ManagementAdolescent NutritionBreastfeedingFood SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Women and girls have unique nutritional requirements throughout the life cycle, especially during adolescence, before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. USAID investments seek to protect nutrition throughout the life cycle to ensure that all women and children are well-nourished and can live healthy and productive lives. This is a video.
USAID and its partners work with countries to provide people with skills, tools, and resources to improve their families’ health, diets, and nutrition, especially early in life. This is a video.
Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition
Publication Date:
Knowledge ManagementCOVID-19Food SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
Increasing numbers of Africans experience hunger and suffer widespread micronutrient deficiencies; overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns as well. A common vision, strong political leadership, and effective cross-sectoral collaboration, are essential to identify and implement sustainable solutions that transform agrifood systems to deliver healthy, affordable diets.
Seasonal Variation in Maternal Dietary Diversity is Reduced by Small-Scale Irrigation Practices: A Longitudinal Study
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Food SystemsMaternal Nutrition
In observed areas of rural Ethiopia, where women experienced high seasonal variation in their diets and energy intakes, their dietary diversity was low. This could be partly offset by adopting irrigation practices.
Renforcer la nutrition maternelle dans les programmes de santé: un guide pour les practiciens
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Nutrition and Health SystemsMaternal Nutrition
Ce guide actualisé fournit des recommandations étape par étape pour ajouter ou renforcer les composantes de nutrition maternelle dans les programmes ou les services fournis par le système de santé, y compris les actions visant à renforcer le système de santé global et l’environnement favorable.
Maternal Diets in India: Gaps, Barriers, and Opportunities
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderGenderMaternal NutritionNutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Food unavailability and poor economic situations, limited exposure to nutrition counseling, food restrictions and beliefs, adverse family influence and gender norms, and gaps in knowledge constrain healthy diets.
Giving Voice to the Silent Burden: Maternal Mental Health Technical Consultation
Publication Date:
Nutrition and Health SystemsMaternal Nutrition
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.
Impact of Scaling up Prenatal Nutrition Interventions on Human Capital Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Modeling Analysis
Publication Date:
Nutrition and Health SystemsMaternal NutritionMicronutrient Interventions
Scaling up prenatal nutrition interventions in low- and middle-income countries from current levels to 90 percent may lead to substantial gains in schooling and lifetime income. Decision-makers should consider potential long-term human capital returns on investments in maternal nutrition.
Beyond Stunting: Complementary Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluating USAID Nutrition Activities
Publication Date:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Recent literature has critically examined the use of stunting as an indicator for evaluating the impact of nutrition interventions. The guidance document suggests approaches and indicators to measure the results of nutrition programs in a comprehensive and meaningful way.
Health Facility-Based Counselling and Community Outreach are Associated with Maternal Dietary Practices in a Cross-Sectional Study from Tanzania
Publication Date:
Monitoring, Evaluation, and LearningMaternal Nutrition
Women who received nutrition advice were more likely to eat larger quantities of food during pregnancy compared with women who did not, while women who received antenatal care and advice on nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy were more likely to eat a wider variety of foods.
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.
U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy 2022–2026
Publication Date:
Food SystemsAdolescent NutritionCOVID-19Emergency NutritionFood SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal NutritionNutrition Sensitive AgricultureResilience
This updated strategy responds to the challenges of the moment. Priorities include collaborating with local partners to address challenges to inclusion by intentionally engaging all actors, working to address the effects of climate change on agriculture, and adopting practices to counter the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maternal Resources for Care are Associated with Child Growth and Early Childhood Development in Bangladesh and Vietnam
Publication Date:
Early Childhood DevelopmentAdolescent NutritionMaternal Nutrition
Maternal height, good nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, support in chores, and perceived social support were associated with child health and development outcomes. Interventions that help to improve resources among mothers have the potential to foster child growth and development.
Approaches to Partnership Measurement: A Landscape Review
Publication Date:
Capacity StrengtheningAdolescent NutritionInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
While calls for partnership measurement are increasing, no standard approaches or indicators exist. This review recommends developing context-specific measurement approaches. To overcome identified challenges, use multiple indicators and mixed-methods approaches to capture complexity, outcome diversity, and the contributions of partnerships to outcomes.