Nutrition
There are many evidence gaps in the delivery of humanitarian food/nutrition aid. Evaluation of the relative cost‐effectiveness of dietary response projects is confounded by the fact that different projects can have different objectives (USAID, 2015). Ethiopia has made progress in meeting emergency needs, including through the Government of Ethiopia-led Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), which… Read more
This rapid literature review assesses the evidence on the benefits of business being allowed to operate across borders within Africa for farmers; consumers; national economies, and donors. The evidence for promoting effective trade and access of food across borders within Africa is optimistic. Data for this report was taken from available for supra-national and regional… Read more
Most of the evidence concentrates on the nutrition of vulnerable groups – mainly very young children and CBA. The little data available on nutritional status of the elderly is for those living in residential homes. For men, published evidence relates to Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and is therefore not given here. The report includes… Read more
This helpdesk provides a rapid analysis on the existing evidence related to effective behaviour change interventions. It has a particular focus on where interventions are related to hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, gender based violence, indoor air pollution, family planning adoption, unsafe sex, motor vehicle driving. The geographic focus is Malawi, but where necessary it draws… Read more
This report identifies research on the outcomes of school feeding programmes which are mixed but largely positive. Some programme costs and design considerations are presented which provide lessons for sustainability and affordability. Some cost-benefit analyses are also included and trade-offs discussed. Key points for consideration in programme design include: Geographical targeting. Biscuits are a significantly… Read more
Acute malnutrition tends to be highest during the lean season April/May – August. The lean season occurs at the same time as the rainy season, when the incidence of malaria and diarrhoea increases. This creates a double burden of vulnerability. The rainy season also brings logistical constraints to the implementation of nutrition activities, hampering communication… Read more
This rapid review looks at the evidence on Early Childhood Development (ECD) models (including integrated approaches) in Malawi and in the Sub-Saharan African region, looking at the impact on child development and learning. Most of the evidence from Malawi focuses on Community Based Childcare Centres (CBCC) which are the main centre based model for ECD… Read more
This helpdesk reports that defining famine has proved historically challenging. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) provides a common currency for classifying both the magnitude and severity of food insecurity through a set of standardised tools. Despite the standard definition that the IPC provides, there have been several incidents where mass nutrition related mortality… Read more
On average, urban health levels are better than those in rural areas. However, averages can be misleading: once the data are disaggregated, it is clear that the urban poor face health risks often as high as and sometimes worse than those of rural residents, despite the proximity of modern health services (UNFPA, 2012). This report… Read more
More than half of the world’s 7 billion people now live in urban areas. As the world’s population is becoming increasingly urbanised, new challenges are arising. The rural-urban gap in nutrition has narrowed in recent decades – essentially because the situation has worsened in urban areas. Ensuring adequate nutrition and food security for people living… Read more
This was an extensive query to tackle in 3 days. The result is an annotated bibliography covering a selection of key papers identified through a rapid search on the different nutrition interventions. Section 2 includes a number of resources on community-based management with evaluations finding it to be cost effective. Sections 3-5 are on breastfeeding,… Read more