Other announcements
Haiti earthquake response: useful information resources can be found on the website of the Global Nutrition Cluster http://oneresponse.info/GlobalClusters/Nutrition.
Nutrition relevant documents on Haiti are available under:
http://oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Nutrition/Pages/default.aspx
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L'UNICEF, l'OMS et le PAM appellent à l'aide pour apporter une alimentation adaptée aux nourrissons et aux jeunes enfants dans la situation d'urgence actuelle et mettent en garde contre les dons et l'usage inutiles et potentiellement nocifs de substituts du lait maternel.
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UNICEF, WHO and WFP call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in the
current emergency, and caution about unnecessary and potentially harmful donations and use of
breast-milk substitutes.
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The memory and outstanding career contributions of Rainer Gross are being honored with the first, biennial, RAINER GROSS PRIZE: RECENT INNOVATION IN NUTRITION AND HEALTH IN DEVELOPING SOCIETIES.
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Harmonized Training Package (HTP)
The SCN is hosting the Global Nutrition Cluster Harmonized Training Package (HTP). We welcome your comments to the HTP as well as any relevant training material that you may have developed. Read or download the module documents of the HTP here.
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The latest on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition from IYCN. Update February 2010. Please click here to read the newsletter.
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The first issue of the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease is now published and can be downloaded for free, read more.
The issue has a review on "The economic cost of a poor start to life" by H. Alderman, click here to read the article.
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Advancing the rights of adolescent girls: 6 UN agencies have signed a joint statement committing to work on five priorities areas (Joint ILO/UNESCO/UNFPA/UNICEF/UNIFEM/WHO Statement - 3 March 2010)
1. Educate adolescent girls
2. Improve adolescent girls' health
3. Keep adolescent girls free from violence
4. Promote adolescent girl leaders
5. Count adolescent girls
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The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Prof. Olivier De Schutter, presents on March 5th in Geneva his report on ‘Agribusiness and the right to food'. Issues related to global food chains and the role of private agribusiness actors in global food security have insufficiently been addressed since the 2008 global food crisis. The report examines the role of commodity buyers, food processors and retailers in the realization of the right to food. These actors play a key role, as they connect producers to consumers, and as they transform raw commodities into edible food. But the vast majority of those who are hungry in the world today are part of the food system; small independent food producers or waged agricultural workers working on farms in the formal or informal sector represent over half of the billion who go hungry today. The report therefore asks how the sourcing, pricing, and wages policies of commodity buyers, food processors and retailers impact the right to food. The report seeks to contribute to a better understanding, by agribusiness corporations and States alike, of their respective responsibilities and obligations under international law. It ends with recommendations to States and the agribusiness sector to ensure that the current transformation of the food chain will contribute to the realization of the right to food. The recommendations relate to a range of areas, including competition law, international framework agreements, cooperatives, and public procurement.
Read the report 'Agribusiness and the right to food' and its summary.
Read the press release 'The imbalance of power between smallholders and agribusiness must be corrected'.
Watch the video presentation.
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Report on the ‘Review of Global Nutrition Cluster products' is now available
Updates on the Landscape Analysis: Releasing of the Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLIS)
The Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLIS) has been launched on October 5th 2009. The NLIS is a component of the Landscape Analysis on Countries' Readiness to Accelerate Action in Nutrition.
www.who.int/nutrition/nlis
Gates Foundation Launches Campaign to Highlight Success of U.S. Global Health Investments
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Living Proof Project: U.S. Investments in Global Health are Working, a multi-year awareness campaign to highlight the extraordinary success of the U.S. government's efforts to improve health around the world.
Launch of the 2008 Innocenti Process Report "Scaling-up Micronutrient Programs: What Works and What Needs More Work"
The Micronutrient Forum is pleased to announce the launch of the 2008 Innocenti Process Report "Scaling-up Micronutrient Programs: What Works and What Needs More Work"
The 2008 Innocenti Process was initiated by the Micronutrient Forum to critically examine knowledge related to program implementation in real world settings and culminated in a meeting at the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, in September 2008. This process involved:
(1) A critical review of the evidence from programs implemented at scale;
(2) Engaging and giving "center stage" to views of country-level program managers and implementers; and,
(3) Building consensus among key stakeholder groups on what programs have worked (strength of evidence), what makes those programs work, and what needs more work.
The results of this process reveal much about scaling up interventions; but they also reveal that large gaps remain in our understanding of the capabilities, resources, and strategies needed to implement programs effectively and to demonstrate measurable and meaningful impact. The report provides concrete recommendations ("Call to Action") on how the Micronutrient Community can begin to fill these large gaps and improve the effective implementation of efficacious interventions at scale.
Read the report, download other resources and learn more about the 2008 Innocenti Process
George H. Beaton named Officer of the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service in various fields of human endeavour. It is Canada's highest civilian honour for lifetime achievement. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country. The Order of Canada has three grades: Companion, Officer and Member.
On July 1, 2009, Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced 60 new appointments to the Order of Canada. The new appointees include five Companions (C.C.), 18 Officers (O.C.), and 37 Members (C.M.). George H. Beaton was named Officer of the Order of Canada for his role in enhancing Canada's international reputation in the field of nutritional sciences, and for his contributions to the improvement of nutritional requirements for children in developing countries.
The Order of Canada
Summary Report of a Workshop on Multiple Micronutrient Powders (MNP) held in Bangkok late April this year for 14 Asian countries.
The report has been written jointly by the facilitators from the main partner agencies working on MNPs in Asia. A complete report of the workshop is under preparation. The workshop provided input for program designs in 14 Asian countries where > 30 projects are currently being implemented, accumulated program experience for development of a program guideline, and was a unique platform for coordinating efforts and exchange program approaches between partner agencies. Further details can be found in the report.In the meantime, if you have any questions about MNPs or other home fortification programs, please do not hesitate to write to the Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group (HF-TAG) - HFTAG@gainhealth.org.
WHO consultation on the Dietary Management of Moderate Malnutrition
WHO organized a consultation on the Dietary Management of Moderate Malnutrition in collaboration with UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and supported by the IASC Nutrition Cluster that was held in Geneva from 30 September to 3 October, 2008.The main objectives of the consultation were:
- To provide an estimate of nutritional requirements of children with MM (as defined above). These nutritional requirements will be examined separately for children who are moderately wasted and those who are stunted.
- To examine if current approaches for MM management, based either on dietary counselling or on the provision of food supplements, provide all nutrients needed for the recovery of children with MM.
- To formulate recommendations to improve the dietary management of MM, either through dietary counselling or food supplementation.
Four background papers were commissioned by WHO in advance of the meeting:
1. Nutrient content of diets suitable for feeding moderately malnourished children;
2. Foods and ingredients suitable for use in moderately malnourished children;
3. Nutrition counselling for moderately malnourished children;
4. Food supplements used to treat moderate malnutrition in children.
In addition to these background papers, a call for abstracts was circulated to a large number of agencies implementing programmes or carrying out research on the management of MM. During the meeting, authors were asked to present key elements of their initiatives to improve management of MM. The presentations were followed by discussions and working group sessions to develop consensus statements and identify areas for research on the improved dietary management of MM. About 70 participants took part in the meeting.
An introduction giving information on the consultation and its rationale; the four background papers, and the proceedings of the consultation highlighting the main conclusions and recommendations, are now available at the following website: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/moderate_malnutrition/mm_report/en/index.html.
JOINT STATEMENT based on a workshop of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Global Breastfeeding Partners Meeting (GBPM) VII in Penang, Malaysia, October 2008
The Joint Statement on Continued Breastfeeding was produced following the WABA GBPM in October 2008 in response to shared concerns that breastfeeding after 6 months has slipped off the policy and programme agenda. Action and investment in improving complementary feeding or providing foods supplements seems to be taking place with little consideration for supporting or improving breastfeeding amongst 6 < 24+ month old children, despite estimates that 20% of deaths in 12 < 24 month age group in developing countries are due to lack of breastfeeding. The statement calls upon everyone involved in improving the health and development of infants and young children to take steps to ensure that continued breastfeeding 6-24+ months is protected, promoted and supported as the precondition for, and foundation of, appropriate complementary feeding. Steps for action encompassing communication, education and promotion; practical support; breastfeeding as part of complementary feeding; definitions and monitoring; addressing misinformation through marketing and special circumstances are described.Click here for the statement: http://www.waba.org.my/concerningyou/foradvocates/index.htm
Report of the 11th ECOWAS Nutrition Forum
Available in English and in FrenchThe 11th Annual ECOWAS Nutrition Forum was held in Freetown, Sierra Leone from the 22nd to 26th September, 2008 under the theme "Food Security and Nutrition". The main objectives of the Forum were to (i) Share experiences and review nutrition interventions and programs implemented at country level, (ii) Develop a regional profile of nutrition and identify adequate resources needed from African institutions and partners to support the implementation of activities, and (iii) Provide a technical update focusing on a crucial and relevant topic: "Food and Nutrition Security" in the sub-region.
For a copy, please contact: ithiam@wahooas.org
The Food Crisis: Save the Children Research
1. "How the Global Food Crisis is Hurting Children: The impact of the food price hike on a rural community in northern Bangladesh" Save the Children's analysis of the impact of the escalation of food prices on household income and children's nutrition, April 20092. "How cash transfers can improve the nutrition of the poorest children: Evaluation of a pilot safety net project in Southern Niger" Key findings from an evaluation of Save the Children's pilot project to give cash transfers to 1,500 of the poorest households in Tessaoua district, Maradi region, Niger, April 2009
3. "Young Lives: Key Findings on Nutrition" - briefing paper
Visit Save the Children's website
Contact the Hunger Reduction Team
New online search facility for Field Exchange of the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN)
The Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) has just launched a greatly improved online search facility for Field Exchange to improve accessibility for you and your colleagues. The entire archive of Field Exchange since first produced in 1996 (35 issues) has been catalogued and may be searched using free text using a simple or advanced search facility, or located via theme, article type, country, or issue. You can find the Field Exchange Catalogue at http://fex.ennonline.net/ or via the link on the ENN website. A CD version and a printed catalogue will soon be available to download and limited CD/print copies available from the ENN. Send requests to the ENN at office@ennonline.net. The ENN also welcomes feedback on this resource, please contact them at the same email or via our office mail/telephone Rupert Gill, ENN Project Manager, ENN, 32 Leopold Street, Oxford, OX4 1LN UK, Tel: +44 1865 324996.The ENN gratefully acknowledge the support of the UNICEF-led IASC Global Nutrition Cluster in funding this resource.
AED receives Gates Foundation grant to improve nutrition and reduce deaths among young children in developing countries
AED announced 25 March 2009 that it has received a $76 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support efforts to improve infant and young child nutrition in developing countries in Africa and Asia. The initiative, Alive & Thrive, will work to increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding and improve complementary feeding for children 6-24 months old.Read more at http://www.aed.org/News/Releases/aliveandthrive.cfm.
IZiNCG Technical Document #2: Systematic reviews of zinc intervention strategies
The Steering Committee of the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) completed a 2nd IZiNCG technical document, which reexamines information on the intervention strategies that have been developed to enhance zinc nutrition and control zinc deficiency. The document has been published in the Food and Nutrition Bulletin (Volume 30, Number 1: S3-S186; 2009) and can be downloaded for free at: http://www.foodandnutritionbulletin.org/downloads/FNB_v30n1_Supplement_izinc.pdf and http://www.izincg.org/.One Million Campaign - No more Milk Scandals! Support Women to Breastfeed
About 10 million of the world's children die every year before they reach their fifth birthday. That is, over 27,000 per day, or over 1100 per hour. Of these, over a third - more than 450 - are less than a month old. Growing evidence tells us that good breastfeeding practices can save thousands of these babies. Unfortunately, not even half the women of the world can carry out adequate breastfeeding. 135 Million, babies are born every year. Only 64 million women can initiate timely breastfeeding. Only 48 million women can practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months.ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN Support Women to Breastfeed gives you the chance to make your voice heard to support women to breastfeed - to make a difference. Become a vital part of the Wave of Change. Become one of the ONE MILLION. Sign the petition now
The ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN team assists the members of the World Breastfeeding Movement family to identify issues that pose a challenge to successful breastfeeding, and develop national, regional and international campaigns around them. The team works through a secretariat in New Delhi, India, and international coordinators for different regions.
Read more at http://www.onemillioncampaign.org/.
Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU): Report on key findings of the Post Deyr '08/09 Assessment and Analysis
The findings of the FSAU, FEWSNET, and its partners' post Deyr ‘08/09 seasonal assessment confirm that there is an ongoing and sustained Humanitarian Crisis in Somalia, with 43% of the total population of the country, or around 3.2 million people, in need of emergency livelihood and life-saving assistance at least until June 2009. A failed state since the early 1990s, Somalia has had recurring humanitarian emergencies over the last 18 years and is a country characterized by chronically high rates of acute malnutrition above emergency levels, and chronic levels of food insecurity among the rural population. The ongoing humanitarian crisis, however, is unique in that the crisis is widespread; not only are 1.2 million rural people in crisis, nearly two-thirds of those in crisis, or 2 million people, are urban poor and internally displaced populations (IDPs). Read more at http://www.fsausomali.org/.Click this link to download the pdf version of the press release (.pdf 1000KB).
Click this link to download the full report (.pdf 3900KB).
Joint letter from Directors-General of FAO and WHO and the Executive Directors of UNICEF and WFP on REACH: ending child hunger and undernutrition to respective country offices.
The REACH team is pleased to announce the dissemination of a joint letter signed by the Directors-General of FAO and WHO and the Executive Directors of UNICEF and WFP committing to a renewed effort against child hunger and undernutrition: REACH. The letter is available in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish at the REACH website and the SCN website.The REACH: ending child hunger and undernutrition partnership was jointly established by FAO, WHO, UNICEF, WFP and partners to address challenges and support countries to accelerate progress toward MDG 1, Target 3 (halve the proportion of underweight among under-fives).
REACH builds on partners' existing work, but its coordinated, solution-oriented approach represents a change from ‘business as usual'. Most assistance programmes are oriented toward a single product, with each agency focusing on its own interventions. REACH turns this around to start with the overall objective of meeting children's needs, and then focuses on how each partner can contribute to a common, country-led solution.
The four expected outcomes of the initiative are:
- increased awareness of the underlying problem of hunger and undernutrition and of the potential solutions;
- strengthened, resourced and effectively monitored national policies and programmes;
- increased capacity at the international, national, community and household levels for action; and
- increased efficiency and accountability of the global efforts to reduce child hunger and undernutrition.
REACH represents a decisive, integrated and renewed effort to bring known and proven solutions within the reach of all countries. To date, REACH has been shown to be a highly dynamic process with a constant flow of new lessons learned. REACH draws upon the current thinking and best practice of a wide number of partners in addressing the urgent global problem that is maternal and child undernutrition. Today, there are striking new opportunities to extend and accelerate efforts already being made on the ground to address undernutrition, and collectively to deploy known and effective solutions on a wider scale in the most-affected countries and communities. The REACH inter-agency team invites you to join and engage in our renewed effort to end child hunger and undernutrition.
Contact the REACH team at team@reach-partnership.org
Additional information is available at: http://www.reach-partnership.org/
The Nutrition Society Interim Professional Body for Nutrition has updated its Information Sheets 1 - 4
These are particularly for nutritionists in low-income countries. Sheet 1 lists low-cost print/hard copy newsletters and journals, Sheet 2 sources of low cost print materials, Sheet 3 sources of CD-ROMs, and Sheet 4 email/website access to discussion forums, news and publications. To access these go to http://www.nutritionsociety.org/ > Nutrition Profession > Developing practice, or click on www.nutritionsociety.org/index.php?q=node/42.Please send additions and corrections for these Sheets to professional@nutsoc.org.uk or annpatriciaburgess@yahoo.co.uk.
Right to Food and Nutrition Watch
Launched in Rome, Vienna, Brussels, Utrecht and Amsterdam by the publishing alliance from Bread for the World, ICCO and FIAN International.The Right to Food and Nutrition Watch is the first and only international periodical review that monitors state actors' actions related to the realization of the right to food. Published annually, the Right to Food and Nutrition Watch will not only put pressure on policymakers at the national and international level to take the human right to food into account, but will also serve as a resource showing where best practices are used as well as where violations of the right to food are committed. The Zero Issue of the Right to Food and Nutrition Watch deals with the topic "The World Food Crisis and the Human Right to Food" and gathers articles and country monitoring reports from different experts and regions. Other partners of the Right to Food and Nutrition Watch consortium are Habitat International Coalition, Peoples' Health Movement, World Alliance on Breastfeeding Action and OMCT (World Organisation Against Torture). Rights and Democracy and Act International further supported the launch of this pioneering publication.
Read the Right to Food and Nutrition Watch or visit http://www.fian.org/.
Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies: Making it Happen
The Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) co-facilitated a regional workshop on infant and young child feeding in emergencies on 10-13th March 2008 in Bali, Indonesia. The theme of the meeting was ‘Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies: Regional Experiences and Challenges in Achieving Optimal Early Response'. This workshop was being organised under the auspices of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Global Nutrition Cluster that is led by UNICEF. Within the Nutrition cluster, the main organiser was the IFE Core Group (represented by the ENN), in cooperation with UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, UNICEF South Asia Regional Office and the Ministry of Health, Indonesia.The report on the meeting ‘Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies: Making it Happen' is now available online. Print copies (postage and packing charges apply), are available from the ENN office.
Issue 34 of Field Exchange, due out in October 2008, will have a special focus on IFE and feature field articles from Indonesia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Philippines based on experiences shared at the Bali meeting.
Read more at http://www.ennonline.net/ife/meeting.aspx
Download report at http://www.ennonline.net/pool/files/ife/IFE%20Bali%20Report_Web.pdf
Human Rights Council has adopted the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The Protocol will allow persons to petition an international human rights body about violations of rights guaranteed in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Adopted by the Human Rights Council on 18 June, the Protocol is expected to get the final approval by the United Nations General Assembly later this year. Thereafter, the Protocol will enter into force once it has been ratified by ten States. The new complaints mechanism will allow victims of human rights violations, such as violations of the right to health and the right to food, to address the United Nations if they were not able to obtain relief in their country.Read press release with statements by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.
See also http://www.fian.org/ and http://www.opicescr-coalition.org/
The Lancet's Nutrition Series
The papers are available from www.thelancet.com/collections/series/undernutrition with more articles and speeches from the launch at www.thelancet.com/online/focus/undernutrition.A new website for nutrition was developed to support the launch of The Lancet's Nutrition Series at - http://www.globalnutritionseries.org/ - which contain the advocacy material from the launch, an Executive Summary of the Series and other material.
