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SCN Reports on the World Nutrition Situation

ISSN 1810-715X



About the SCN Reports on the World Nutrition Situation


Reporting on the world nutrition situation is a key element of the SCN's work programme. Editions of this SCN flagship publication are disseminated every two to three years. Many regard these as the major contribution of the SCN.
The First Report appeared in November 1987, bringing together nutrition information and data scattered across the various agencies. The Second Report appeared in October 1992, the Third in December 1997, the Fourth in January 2000. The Fifth Report, subtitled Nutrition for Improved Development Outcomes, launched in March 2004, was by far the most analytical report to date. Some ten thousand copies of the Fifth Report have been distributed across the globe. The availability of the periodic updates on the report on the world nutrition situation is unquestionably a force for harmonization, not only among the UN agencies but also at country level.
The forthcoming Sixth Report aims to communicate to policy and decision makers the future perspectives of the world food and nutrition situation through 2015, the implications that these hold for achieving international development goals and realizing the right to adequate food, and ways in which things could be improved. The report is scheduled to be launched in 2009 and will be distributed to about 10,000 nutrition professionals and development actors.

Previous issues


Previous issues available to download:

The Fifth Report on the World Nutrition Situation: Nutrition for Improved Development Outcomes (March 2004) is the result of a partnership between a Task Force convened by the SCN and the many UN and other agencies that provided access to data and expertise. The Task Force was composed of lead authors - Lawrence Haddad (International Food Policy Research Institute), Jay Ross (LINKAGES/Academy for Education), with contributions from Arne Oshaug (Akershus University College, Norway), and Liv Elin Torheim (Akershus University College, Norway); in collaboration with Kathy Kurz (International Center for Research on Women), Milla McLachlan (World Bank), Bruce Cogill (USAID/Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance). The Fifth 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 Fifth Report asks the question more proactively: how can a nutrition perspective accelerate the attainment of a comprehensive set of development goals? Inspired by the commitments made at the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in September 2000, translated into a series of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Fif5th Report makes the case that the role of nutrition in development goes far beyond providing an indicator of progress towards the MDGs.

The Fourth Report on the World Nutrition Situation: Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle, January 2000, was produced in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI www.ifpri.org). It is built around the theme nutrition throughout the life cycle. This change was signalled in part by growing evidence of the linkage between foetal undernutrition and chronic disease later in life, as well as new estimates of the global magnitude of growth retardation during foetal life.

The Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation, December 1997, presented trends in stunting for the first time, as well as comprehensive reviews of micronutrient deficiencies and nutrition in emergencies. Early reports featured regional and global trends in underweight amongst preschool children.

Between 1992 and 1995, two Updates on the Nutrition Situation were published: The Summary Results for the Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation were published in late 1996 as an Update on the Nutrition Situation. The Update on the Nutrition Situation published in November 1994 extended the results from the Second Report.

The Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation, Volume I with Global and Regional Results was published in October 1992. The Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation, Volume II with Country Data was published in March 1993.

Between 1992 and and 1987, and Update on the Nutrition Situation - Recent Trends in Nutrition in 33 Countries was published in January 1989.

The First Report on the World Nutrition Situation was published in November 1987, with a Supplement on Methods and Statistics to the First Report on the World Nutrition Situation published in December 1988.

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