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.
Coronavirus puts 14 million people at risk of missing meals in Latin America and the Caribbean
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsCOVID-19Economic GrowthFood SecurityResilience
This article describes the specific challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean in light of COVID-19. The economic downturn could quadruple levels of food insecurity, identifying women, school-aged children and migrants as the most at-risk groups. To respond to these challenges, authors call for increased social protection measures to meet the basic needs of vulnerable groups.
Toolkit for CHW community-based treatment of uncomplicated wasting for children 6-59 months in the context of COVID-19
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Nutrition and Health SystemsNutrition in Humanitarian ContextsWastingCOVID-19Micronutrient InterventionsNutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS)
To help community health workers effectively adapt to the COVID-19 context, the International Rescue Committee produced this protocol and toolkit for providing treatment for uncomplicated wasting. The program adaptations and recommendations are based on current global COVID-19 guidance and represent the minimum measures required to achieve safe community-based treatment.
Foreword: Global Nutrition Report in the Context of COVID-19
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Early Childhood DevelopmentNutrition in Humanitarian ContextsFood SystemsKnowledge ManagementMonitoring, Evaluation, and LearningNutrition and Health SystemsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderCOVID-19Economic GrowthFood SecurityResilience
Inequality is a critical driver of malnutrition, particularly in the context of the global pandemic. COVID-19 disproportionally affects undernourished populations, reveals healthcare inequalities, and places additional stress on already vulnerable food systems.
Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsNutrition and Health SystemsCOVID-19Food SecurityInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
UNICEF, the Global Nutrition Cluster, and GTAM have put together technical guidance and tools to help address the effects of COVID-19 on nutrition programming. They are also producing a series of nutrition guidance briefs to help programmers respond to and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
How the pandemic is affecting funding for nutrition
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsFood SystemsCOVID-19Economic Growth
COVID-19 is placing additional strain on nutrition programs’ limited resources. This blog post identifies three key trends in nutrition financing in the current context including increasing rates of malnutrition, challenges to social sector funding, and an unfavorable outlook for nutrition-specific aid.
On the Journey to Self-Reliance: Transitioning Nutrition Financing from USAID to Domestic Resources Webinar
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Sustainable financing for nutrition ensures improving nutrition stays a top priority. It occurs when nutrition activities and investments are incorporated into government-managed budgets and backed by predictable financing from domestic revenues.
When Separation is Not the Answer: Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants Affected by COVID‐19
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingCOVID-19
Although the World Health Organization has provided comprehensive guidance that promotes continued breastfeeding during COVID-19, this article argues countries that have imposed separation and discouraged or prohibited breastfeeding or provision of expressed breastmilk fail to acknowledge the health and psychological impacts of separation.
Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Behavioral Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries to Increase Family Support for Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition during the First 1000 Days
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Nutrition and Health SystemsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Research that draws causal inference, estimates the magnitude of impact, and identifies scalable behavioral interventions that engage fathers, grandmothers, and other family members to support mothers of infants and young children is limited.
Social Circumstances and Cultural Beliefs Influence Maternal Nutrition, Breastfeeding and Child Feeding Practices in South Africa
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
There is a gap between knowledge and practices related to maternal dietary diversity, breastfeeding, and infant and young child feeding. Lack of income, dependence on food purchasing, young mothers' feelings about breastfeeding, and cultural beliefs were drivers of this gap.
Social and Behavior Change and GenderWastingBreastfeeding
This tool provides a framework for identifying individual, social, and structural factors that support or hinder continued breastfeeding through age two. Acknowledging the importance of external forces on continued breastfeeding, the tool guides the identification of supportive actions required by policymakers and others and facilitates thinking about possible program strategies.
Factors That Influence Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Behaviors
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Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Researchers and implementers can use this tool when designing formative research and social and behavior change activities to improve nutrition outcomes. Barriers and enablers at the structural, social, and internal level must be considered and addressed.
Greater Household Food Insecurity Is Associated With Lower Breast Milk Intake Among Infants In Western Kenya
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsBreastfeeding
Researchers found a significant relationship between household food insecurity and decreased breast milk intake among HIV-uninfected infants in this cohort. They recommend screening for and integrating programs that reduce food insecurity to increase quantities of breast milk ingested.
Violent Conflict and Breastfeeding: The Case of Iraq
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsBreastfeedingEmergency Nutrition
Findings from this study suggest that increases in conflict-related casualties reduce the probability of a child ever beginning and continuing breastfeeding, and that infant formula provided to offer temporary relief impact these trends.
Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes: National Implementation of the International Code, Status Report 2020
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Nutrition in Humanitarian ContextsBreastfeeding
This report highlights progress to promote and protect breastfeeding and curb harmful marketing practices by manufacturers and distributors of breastmilk substitutes, which often are donated or offered in emergency settings.
The Cost of Not Breastfeeding: Global Results from a New Tool
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeeding
This tool aggregates data to estimate the human and economic costs of not breastfeeding. Data attributed to not breastfeeding include childhood deaths from diarrhea and pneumonia, childhood obesity, maternal breast and ovarian cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
Facility Readiness and Counseling during Antenatal Care and the Relationship with Early Breastfeeding in Haiti and Malawi
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
While almost all surveyed health facilities in Haiti and Malawi reported that they routinely provided breastfeeding counseling, fewer than 30% of providers reported having recently attended relevant training, and only 4% of patients were observed to have received counseling as part of antenatal care.
The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes: Frequently Asked Questions on the Roles and Responsibilities of Health Workers
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Authors discuss common tactics that companies use to encourage health care workers to over-promote breast milk substitutes and clarify health care workers’ role and responsibilities to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
Frequently Asked Questions: Breastfeeding and COVID-19 for Health Care Workers
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Nutrition and Health SystemsBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
In addition to answering common questions about COVID-19 transmission through breast milk and the risks of choosing not to breastfeed, a decision tree helps health care workers understand current guidelines and precautionary steps to support breastfeeding mothers with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
The World Health Organization recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 be encouraged to practice skin-to-skin contact and initiate or continue breastfeeding while practicing infection prevention and control measures. Current data suggest that the health benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of potential infant or child COVID-19 infection.