Nutrition
NutritionThis literature review is based on an extensive analysis of the existing evidence on the impact of social protection programmes in the developing world. It assesses how the benefits of social protection could be maximized with specific regard to the different dimensions of children’s well-being. It was found that social protection can play a vital… Read more
This study looks at how cash interventions affect the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition. It is based on a review of 54 evaluations and documents from humanitarian programmes since 2004. It states that theoretically there are a variety of ways that cash transfers could help protect and improve nutritional status, address immediate and underlying… Read more
This evidence paper analyses the existing literature focused on the impact of cash transfers on various development outcomes, including nutrition. While various methodologies are employed in the literature reviewed, the evidence suggests that recipients of cash transfers spend more on food, resulting in significant gains in children’s weight and height.
This paper analyses the recent evidence from in-depth studies on school feeding programmes. It finds that while school feeding programmes can influence the education of school children and, to a lesser degree, augment nutrition for families of beneficiaries, they are best viewed as transfer programmes that can provide a social safety net and help promote… Read more
This synthesis paper aims to provide a comprehensive list of current guidance, institutional strategies, and other publications released by international development institutions and inter-agency UN bodies on maximizing nutrition impact through agriculture. It concludes that there is agreement on main principles regarding the link between agriculture and nutrition. It is noted that some stakeholders have… Read more
This systematic review focuses on the impact of agricultural interventions that aim to improve children’s nutritional status by improving the incomes and the diet of the rural poor. Covering the period 1990-2010, mixed results were found, with limited demonstrable impact of agricultural interventions on nutritional status. This was attributed to methodological weaknesses of the studies… Read more
This conference brief sketches a framework that elucidates the channels through which agriculture affects health and nutrition and vice versa. Three components make up this framework: settings, resources, and production processes. The presence of feedback loops within the framework illustrates the possibility that anything that affects agriculture can affect health and nutrition, and anything that… Read more
This review assesses the efficacy and safety of home based management of SAM using therapeutic nutrition products or ready to use therapeutic foods (RUTF); and compares the efficacy of these products in comparison with F-100 (the standard facility based treatment) and home-based diet. The results indicate that systematic reviews and Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) showed… Read more
Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) remains a major killer of children under five years of age. Until recently, treatment has been restricted to facility-based approaches, greatly limiting its coverage and impact. However, in recent years a community based approach has been developed which allows large numbers of children with SAM to be treated in their communities… Read more
This review focuses on multiple micronutrient food fortification and examines the impact on school-age children. The authors study the impact on micronutrient status of the children, growth, health and cognitive development. Fortification of food is a practical way to provide extra micronutrients to children. Twelve eligible studies were reviewed, eleven of them tested the effects… Read more
This recent systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effect of peer support on duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Eleven randomized controlled trials utilising peer support in LMIC were reviewed and assessed for quality. Peer support was shown to significantly decrease the risk of discontinuing exclusive breastfeeding compared to the… Read more