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Working group: Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle

Brief 2 of 12 - Nutrition and Education

No nation can afford to waste its greatest national resource: the intellectual power of its people. But that is precisely what is happening where low birth weight is common,where children fail to achieve their full potential growth,where micronutrient deficiencies permanently damage the brain,and where anemia and short-term hunger limit children’s...

Published in 2002, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Fifth Report on the World Nutrition Situation

The 5th Report continues the tradition of reporting on trends in nutrition throughout the life cycle and of challenging the nutrition community. But instead of asking the question: how is nutrition affected by global changes? the 5th Report asks the question more proactively: how can a nutrition perspective accelerate the attainment of a comprehensive set of...

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

First Report on the World Nutrition Situation

The overall objectives of the report are to provide an agreed basis for raising awareness of malnutrition - its extent, severity and trends - to advocate that increased attention be given to preventing this extensive and serious human problem. The report, through the indicators and their interpretation, should demonstrate the inter-sectoral nature of the...

Published in 1987, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Fourth Report on the World Nutrition Situation Nutrition throughout the Life Cycle

The Fourth Report on the World Nutrition Situation is part of a series of ACC/SCN reports initiated in the mid-1980s on the nutritional status of populations in developing countries. While earlier reports have focused on regional trends in preschool undernutrition, this report is built around the theme nutrition throughout the life cycle. This change was...

Published in 2000, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

IDPAS Iron World

"IDPAS Iron World" includes an outline of webpages with a diverse set of documentation related to micronutrient nutrition with emphasis on preventing and controlling iron deficiency anemia. IDPAS provides technical information, and timely responses to questions and requests for information. Covered topics range from how to effectively support advocacy for...

Published in 2003, by International Nutrition Foundation, United Nations University

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 03 - The Prevention and Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders

This paper is the third in the ACC/SCN's State-of-the-Art series. Like the two previous papers, on nutrition education and control of vitamin A deficiency, it provides information to assist decisions on policies and programmes to prevent widespread nutritional problems. Iodine deficiency is one of these, affecting some 200 million people. Yet science and...

Published in 1988, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 04 - Women's Role in Food Chain Activities and the Implications for Nutrition

We hope that the wide-ranging information herein will further the crucially important cause of women, specifically in relation to nutrition, in several ways. First, women's central role in providing for adequate nutrition - of families, communities, and indeed nations - in being described here in detail should help to give increased prominence to the need...

Published in 1989, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 05 - Malnutrition and Infection - A review

The combination of malnutrition and infection causes most of the preventable deaths in developing countries, certainly among young children. Malnutrition increases the risk and worsens the course of infectious disease; and infection leads to malnutrition. Thus we have used the expression “malnutrition-infection complex”. Good nutrition undoubtedly is a...

Published in 1989, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 06 - Women and Nutrition

Women, throughout most of the world, have the major responsibility for their families' nutrition. Their own nutrition is often impaired, under the social and biological stresses they face. Developments that improve women's position in society are likely to improve nutrition overall, and are essential for this. Equally, any activities aimed at preventing...

Published in 1990, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 08 - Managing Successful Nutrition Programmes

Because undernutrition and malnutrition are the result of different economic and social determinants, it is difficult in field studies - not being double blind, randomized and placebo controlled - to attribute significant outcomes to specific interventions. And yet the need for successful nutrition programmes is becoming more compelling. They are required by...

Published in 1991, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 09 - Controlling Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common nutritional disorder in the world, affecting particularly pregnant and lactating women and pre-school children. Supplementation with ferrous sulphate tablets (often including folic acid) is efficacious but problems exist with effectiveness of large scale programmes in developing countries. Nonetheless, improvement...

Published in 1991, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 11 - Nutrition and Population Links - Breastfeeding, Family Planning and Child Health

The fact remains that, at the community level, family planning services are quite separate from nutrition and health interventions despite their reinforcing effects. It is another reflection of the trend towards segmental primary health care which we have witnessed in the last ten years. What the field does, is usually what the centre decides and provides -...

Published in 1992, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 12 - Nutritional Issues in Food Aid

In the past, critics of food aid have argued that it encourages dependency, both by undermining incentives to local food production as well as biasing tastes towards imported commodities. However, as we approach the mid-1990s, there is now a growing understanding that -- when managed appropriately - food aid can provide a positive boost to food security, at...

Published in 1993, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 15 - How Nutrition Improves

Viewing improved nutrition as an outcome of development processes expands the area of concern for policy-makers and practitioners who seek to combat malnutrition. These processes operate at different levels in society, from (he individual through to the whole arena of governmental policy and indeed international relationships. The SCN, in deciding on...

Published in 1996, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 17 - Challenges for the 21st Century: A Gender Perspective on Nutrition through the Life Cycle

To accelerate progress in tackling malnutrition, adequate food, health, and care must be ensured throughout the lifecycle. Good nutrition during pregnancy reduces the likelihood of low birth weight and improves pregnancy outcomes. Promotion of growth and development in the young infant and child leads to a well-nourished school-aged child who can participate...

Published in 1998, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 18 - Low Birthweight

This Nutrition Policy Paper was produced by the ACC/SCN in collaboration with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh: Centre for Health and Population Research. It summarizes the proceedings of the Low Birthweight Symposium and Workshop held in Dhaka in June 1999. Evidence regarding interventions to prevent low birthweight and...

Published in 2000, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 19 - What Works? A Review of the Efficacy and Effectiveness of Nutrition Interventions

This review takes the perspective of low-income Asia, because the study was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank to inform its policy dialogue with Asian governments. We believe the review will be useful for ADB and all development partners selecting nutrition interventions as stand-alone activities or components in integrated social development...

Published in 2001, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 20 - Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

This Nutrition Policy Paper is based on the ACC/SCN Symposium on Nutrition and HIV/AIDS held in Nairobi in April 2001. The objective of the symposium was, firstly, to stimulate collaboration between the nutrition and HIV/AIDS communities. The second objective was to examine a broad range of nutrition issues that have a direct bearing on policies and...

Published in 2001, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 04 - Update on the Nutrition Situation

This issue of SCN News gives an update on the nutrition situation - Latest data from 33 countries show diverse trends. Drought and debt crises regularly hit the headlines. Success stories have a poorer press. What is actually happening to nutrition in countries in the developing world? Is the "silent emergency" becoming "silent genocide"?

Published in 1989, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 05 - Nutrition and School Performance

The education of children all over the world is being held back by malnutrition. In humanitarian terms, it makes no sense that the children who manage to get to school cannot benefit fully from their education, because they are already malnourished, because they are currently hungry, or because of infection. Nearly 90% of the world's school children will be...

Published in 1990, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 06 - Preventing Anaemia

The main topics of this SCN News are: Recommendations on the deficiency control methods - especially supplementation - from recent ACC/SCN workshop; Policies to Improve Nutrition - Review of recent experience, focusing on household food security, malnutrition/infection, and caring capacity; Weaning Foods - Fermentation reduces contamination; adding...

Published in 1990, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 07 - Refugees' Nutrition Crisis

The main focus of this SCN News is on refugees' nutrition crisis, as serious problems are experienced in meeting the nutritional needs of refugees. Furthermore, micronutrient intake and its relation to income and prices as well as the link between breastfeeding, birth spacing and nutrition are discussed.

Published in 1991, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 08 - Highlights of the World Nutrition Situation

This issue of SCN News summarizes analytical work in the last few years for the Reports on the World Nutrition Situation and elsewhere, on the possibility of using food prices in nutrition monitoring. A second focus is on the long-term effects of improved childhood nutrition.

Published in 1992, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 09 - Focus on Micronutrients

Deficiencies in the intake or absorption of vitamin A, iron, and iodine have serious consequences for health and mental and physical function. The clinical manifestations of these nutritional deficiencies - such as xerophthalmia, anaemia, and goitre - have been identified as major problems with increasing public health significance. This issue of SCN News...

Published in 1993, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 11 - Maternal and Child Nutrition

This SCN News focuses on maternal and child nutrition. Birthweight, child growth and adolescent growth - all needing good nutrition - determine nutritional status before and during pregnancy. Therefore, maternal nutrition influences foetal growth and birthweight, of this and future generations.

Published in 1994, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 13 - Behavioural Change and Nutrition Programmes; Poor Nutrition and Chronic Disease

This issue of SCN News features a report of discussions at the ACC/SCN symposium on behavioural change and nutrition programmes as well as a report of the proceedings of the ACC/SCN symposium on nutrition in the epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and obesity in developing countries.

Published in 1995, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 14 - Meeting the Nutrition Challenge

The focus of this issue of SCN News is on the nutrition challenge in the 21st century. New estimates of trends in malnutrition show some improvement worldwide, but at a substantially slower rate in the last few years than in the 1980s. This slowdown is cause for concern. It means that while the end of hunger and malnutrition had been coming into sight in the...

Published in 1997, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 26 – Mainstreaming Nutrition for Improved Development Outcomes

The SCN’s 30th Annual session focused on efforts to mainstream nutrition and accelerate progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are a set of goals, targets and indicators to improve human development outcomes by 2015, and the nutrition community is poised to lead this process toward increased human well being. Yet the...

Published in 2003, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 28 - Nutrition and the Millennium Development Goals

On 22 March 2004, international development practitioners and nutrition technocrats and scientists met at the United Nations in New York for the SCN Symposium on Nutrition as the key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Symposium focused on nutrition’s role in accelerating improvements in poverty reduction, sustainable development and...

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 29 - Overweight and Obesity: A New Nutrition Emergency?

This issue of SCN News highlights the global challenge involved in effectively addressing the increasing public health problem of overweight and obesity. Our goal is to update readers and raise awareness of the issues related to overweight and obesity from a broad perspective and highlight recent global efforts and actions for their prevention and control.

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 32 - Tackling the Double Burden of Malnutrition: A Global Agenda

SCN News No 32 - Tackling the Double Burden of Malnutrition: A Global Agenda. This issue provides the outcomes of the 33rd Annual Session focusing on Tackling the Double Burden of Malnutrition. This is the first time the SCN addresses malnutrition in all its forms affecting both the developing and industrialized worlds. The objective was to develop clear...

Published in 2006, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 33 - Diet-related Chronic Diseases and the Double Burden of Malnutrition in West Africa

This issue of the SCN News features the papers presented at the Nutrition Forum meeting in Cape Verde. This is the results of a new collaborative arrangement between the SCN and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) of the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS). The Nutrition Forum of ECOWAS brings together the nutrition focal points of...

Published in 2006, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 34 - Working Together to End Child Hunger and Undernutrition

This SCN News features papers based on presentations made at the Symposium at the 34th SCN Session at FAO, Rome 26 February 2007. The Symposium focused on what we know in theory and what are best practices for creating increased system cohesiveness at all levels in order to accelerate progress towards ending child hunger and undernutrition.

Published in 2007, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation - Volume I: Global and Regional Results

This Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation comes at an important time. In the near future human well-being, to which nutrition is fundamental, could improve more rapidly throughout the world; but economic adjustments and mass migration are continuing threats. The results here show steady, if slow, progress in many countries in the last few years....

Published in 1992, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation - Volume II: Country Trends Methods and Statistics

Country-level data are intended to illustrate and promote understanding of observed trends in nutrition. They also, importantly, show the variety of situations, smoothed out in the regional data, from rapid improvement to stagnation or deterioration. As discussed in the text, the choice of countries was biased towards those with large populations. This means...

Published in 1993, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation

This Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation is part of a series of SCN reports initiated in the mid 80s on nutritional status of populations in developing countries. The centrepiece of earlier reports was estimates of regional trends in underweight of preschool children. This Third Report presents, for the first time, information on global and...

Published in 1997, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

WHO HIV Consensus Statement on Infant Feeding

Researchers, programme implementers, infant feeding experts and representatives of the IATT, UN agencies, the WHO Regional Office for Africa and six WHO headquarters departments gathered in Geneva in order to review the substantial body of new evidence and experience regarding HIV and infant feeding that has been accumulating since a previous technical...

Published in 2006, by WHO