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Theme: Surveillance systems

Brazilian Case Study

The objective of this effort was to support Brazil in acquiring skills and experience in dealing with the political, organizational, technical, financial, and social challenges derived from the decision to include food and nutrition objectives, priorities, and goals in national development plans designed to reduce poverty and eradicate hunger as a means to...

Published in 2005, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Chad – a country in crisis

This evaluation reviewes progress and performance of the humanitarian response, and its interface with the existing Chad health system. It also examines the health effects and implications of cross-border population movements, and health service accessibility for both refugees and the host population.

Published in 2007, by Nigel Pearson

Climate change and hunger

This report reviews current knowledge of the effects of climate change on hunger. It summarizes knowledge from global studies completed and provides an overview of actions that can be taken to address the challenge.

Published in 2009, by Martin Parry, Alex Evans, Mark W. Rosegrant, Tim Wheeler

Estrategia Regional y Plan de Acción para un enfoque integrado sobre la prevención y el control de las enfermedades crónicas, incluyendo el régimen alimentario, la actividad física y la salud

La meta de la estrategia (CD47/17) es prevenir y reducir la carga de las enfermedades crónicas y los factores de riesgo en las Américas. El objetivo que se espera lograr es una reducción anual del 2% de las tasas de mortalidad por enfermedades crónicas (prioritarias), lo que resultará en salvarles la vida a más de tres millones de personas durante los...

Published in 2007, by OPS - PAHO

Food and Nutrition Handbook

This handbook is aimed at WFP staff at all levels who are involved with the delivery of food assistance to WFP beneficiaries. It should serve as both a reference and training manual, providing the staff with - better understanding of food an nutrition issues as they relate to WFP - a practical tool to tackle a number of basic nutrition related tasks,...

Published in 2005, by WFP

Guidelines for Assessment in Emergencies

These guidelines are to be used by members of the Red Cross movement and generalists with no technical knowledge. The guidelines provide advice on the organisation of emergency assessments. IFRC uses the Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) framework.

Published in 2008, by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, ICRC

Handbook for defining and setting up a food security information and early warning system

This handbook describes the Food Security and Early Warning Information System (FSIEWS) method, seeking to enhance the ability of governmental and non-governmental actors to know who, where and why people are affected or threatened by food insecurity. The handbook is addressed to national technical managers, central and decentralized, as well as to their...

Published in 2001, by FAO

Househols Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) for Measurement of Household Food Access

This guide provides guidance on the specific data collection needs for the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) indicator. It assumes that these questions will be part of a population-based survey instrument and will be applied to all the households in the sample. The HDDS is used as a proxy measure of the socio-economic level of the household.

Published in 2006, by FANTA

Interpreting and Using Mortality Data in Humanitarian Emergencies - Network Paper Number 52

Technical paper written for non-technical humanitarian actors using mortality data. It provides an overview of epidemiological concepts and indicators of mortality to allow for interpretation and use of mortality reports.

Published in 2005, by Francesco Checchi, Les Roberts, ODI

Joint Assessment Guidelines (with tools and resources)

Manual and training guide to food security and nutrition assessment.

Published in 2004, by UNHCR, WFP

NIPHORN report

Nutrition Information Project for the Horn of Africa, Report of Regional Technical Working Group Meetings.

Published in 2007, by UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Tulane University

NUTRITION - A Guide to Data Collection, Analysis, Interpretation and Use

Manual aimed at mid-level managers in all sectors who would like to better understand nutrition information and its use. The manual sets out all the steps involved in nutrition data collection and analysis including practical guidance for use by survey enumerators, health facility workers and other field workers. Additional materials have also been prepared...

Published in 2005, by FSAU, FAO

Nutrition and Health in Thailand: Trends and action

The objective of this case study is to draw important conclusions as to which programs are effective in combatting and preventing malnutrition, why, and how they are best managed. The scope goes beyond "nutrition" programs per se, however. In addition to the analysis of changes in nutritional status, the study investigates the scope of indirect actions and...

Published in 1992, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Report Number 01

The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition issues these Reports on Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations with the intention of raising awareness and facilitating action. The Reports are designed to provide information over time on key outcome indicators from emergency- affected populations, play an advocacy role in bringing the plight of emergency affected...

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Report Number 02

The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition issues these Reports on Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations with the intention of raising awareness and facilitating action. The Reports are designed to provide information over time on key outcome indicators from emergency- affected populations, play an advocacy role in bringing the plight of emergency affected...

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Report Number 04

The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition issues these Reports on Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations with the intention of raising awareness and facilitating action. The Reports are designed to provide information over time on key outcome indicators from emergency- affected populations, play an advocacy role in bringing the plight of emergency affected...

Published in 2004, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 01 - Nutrition Education: A State-of-the-art Review

How well or poorly does nutrition education work? Does it deal better with some nutrition problems than with others? Do some kinds of nutrition education produce better results than other kinds? These are the sorts of questions addressed by Dr. Robert Hornik and a panel of distinguished discussants in the pages that follow. From their answers emerges a...

Published in 1985, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 02 - Delivery of oral doses of vitamin A deficiency and nutritional blindness: A state-of-the-art review

The ACC/SCN State-of-the-Art Series aims to provide authoritative information to help policy-making and implementation of programmes to improve nutrition in the world. This document concerns prevention of vitamin A deficiency, which is the objective of a Ten-Year UN Programme, launched in 1985. It is a coordinated effort between UN and national governments,...

Published in 1987, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No 07 - Appropriate Uses of Anthropometric Indices in Children

The use of anthropometry has increased rapidly in recent years. With this wider use, it has become even more important that the interpretation of results, for the individual and for populations, should be correct and well understood. I requested the Advisory Group on Nutrition at its first meeting in 1988 to help to define the issues. This led to the AGN...

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 14 - Controlling Vitamin A Deficiency

With the recent publication of "Effectiveness of Vitamin A Supplementation in the Control of Young Child Morbidity and Mortality in Developing Countries" as ACC/SCN Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No. 13, we now know more about the type and degree of positive benefits of raising vitamin A status among deprived populations. After the findings of the...

Published in 1994, 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

Promoción del crecimiento para prevenir la desnutrición cronica: Estrategias con Base Comunitaria en Centro América

Los programas de promoción del crecimiento con base comunitaria (PCBC) son aquellos que apoyan el crecimiento de los niños y niñas mediante la consejería individualizada mensual a los padres sobre prácticas de cuidado, alimentación, tratamiento de enfermedades prevalentes y uso apropiado de los servicios de salud. Esta publicación busca servir de...

Published in 2009, by Banco Mundial - World Bank

Protecting and Promoting Good Nutrition in Crisis and Recovery

GUIDELINES designed to further the development of a more strategic focus that strengthens programme planners' capacity to protect and promote good nutrition in crisis situations. Its purpose is to establish a common vision and standpoint from which to assess, analyse and improve nutritional well-being in a variety of emergency contexts. It will be relevant...

Published in 2005, by FAO

Regional Strategy on an Integrated Approach to the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases Including Diet, Physical Activity, and Health

The goal of this strategy (CD47/17) is to prevent and reduce the burden of chronic diseases and risk factors in the Americas. The target is a 2% annual reduction in death rates from the major chronic diseases, over and above current trends, which will result in the lives of over three million people being saved over the next 10 years, thus enabling them to...

Published in 2007, by PAHO

Reporting Food Security Information

E-learning course designed as a distance learning course to support capacity building and training for national local nutrition and food security information systems and network. The four lessons provide guidance in designing, writing and increasing the impact of food security reports in different contexts.

Published in 2007, by FAO/EC

SCN News No 01 - Vitamin A Deficiency, Urbanization

Recent evidence that vitamin A supplementation may save the lives - as well as the sight - of children affected by the eye disease xerophthalmia due to vitamin A deficiency has given new urgency to a 10-year United Nations programme aimed at the control and prevention of vitamin A deficiency. Launched by a UN interagency meeting in October 1985, the...

Published in 1988, 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 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 15 - Effective Programmes in Africa for Improving Nutrition

This SCN News presents an overview of the Symposium 'Effective Programmes in Africa for Improving Nutrition, including Household Food Security' which was held at the SCN's 23rd Session in Accra, Ghana in February 1996.

Published in 1997, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 36 - Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Child Undernutrition

This edition of the SCN News is of special relevance for a variety of reasons, not least of which being the recommendations agreed at the 35th Session held in Hanoi in March 2008, hosted by the Government of Vietnam. The 35th Session was aimed at understanding how to accelerate the reduction of maternal and child undernutrition, drawing on the recently...

Published in 2008, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 38: Climate Change: food and nutrition security implications

This edition of the SCN News is rightfully dedicated to climate change and its implications on food and nutrition. It is hoped to be thought provoking, showing you how climate change impacts on nutrition. The topic has been approached from very different angles: impacts on food security (in general, in the Asia-Pacific region and sub-Saharan Africa),...

Published in 2010, by SCN

Stratégie régionale et plan d’action pour une approche intégrée de la prévention des maladies chroniques et de la lutte contre celles–ci

La présente Stratégie régionale pour les Amériques a quatre lignes d’action qui reconnaissent qu’il faut accorder la priorité aux maladies chroniques dans les programmes politiques et de santé publique; identifier la surveillance en tant que composante clé; reconnaître que les systèmes de santé doivent être réorientés pour répondre aux...

Published in 2007, by OPS - PAHO

The neglected crisis of undernutrition: Evidence for action

A report preceding the development of DFID’s strategy to 2015 for tackling undernutrition in the developing world. The forthcoming DFID strategy will look at a range of measures to tackle nutrition directly and, critically, to address the drivers of undernutrition, such as food insecurity, ill health, lack of social protection and gender inequality. The...

Published in 2009, by DFID

The use of nutrition indicators in surveillance systems, Technical Paper No. 2

The aim of this paper is to improve understanding of the use of nutritional indicators in surveillance systems that feed into Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping Systems (FIVIMS) both at global and at national level1. The focus is on nutritional indicators (i.e. anthropometry and indicators of micronutrient status) rather than the total...

Published in 2001, by Jeremy Shoham, Fiona Watson, Carmel Dolan

Thematic Guidelines, Nutrition and Health; Guidelines for the use of Nutritional Information in VAM

Guidelines developed for VAM staff on how to collect and interpret nutrition information. Useful for staff unfamiliar with nutrition indicators and includes how to assess nutrition status and the importance of indicators in understanding the food security situation of a population, but does not describe in detail how to conduct a nutrition survey. Gives...

Published in 2006, by Eric Kenefick, WFP

Training Package of Materials for the Course Food and Nutrition Surveillance and Emergency - Unit I

This training course provides an understanding of the nutritional outcomes of emergencies (malnutrition, mortality and morbidity); and also the causes of malnutrition and mortality in emergencies (the process and dynamics of an emergency). The course has an operational focus, and at the same time incorporates relevant applied research.. The course itself is...

Published in 2005, by University of Nairobi, FSAU, FAO

Training Package of Materials for the Course Food and Nutrition Surveillance and Emergency - Unit II

This training course provides an understanding of the nutritional outcomes of emergencies (malnutrition, mortality and morbidity); and also the causes of malnutrition and mortality in emergencies (the process and dynamics of an emergency). The course has an operational focus, and at the same time incorporates relevant applied research.. The course itself is...

Published in 2005, by University of Nairobi, FSAU, FAO

Training Package of Materials for the Course Food and Nutrition Surveillance and Emergency - Unit III

This training course provides an understanding of the nutritional outcomes of emergencies (malnutrition, mortality and morbidity); and also the causes of malnutrition and mortality in emergencies (the process and dynamics of an emergency). The course has an operational focus, and at the same time incorporates relevant applied research.. The course itself is...

Published in 2005, by University of Nairobi, FSAU, FAO

Update on the Nutrition Situation - 1994

This report updates the results given in the Second Report on the World Nutrition Situation. New data available at country level1 give recent trends in prevalences of underweight children, as the main nutritional indicator, in 18 countries. These can be compared with those reported in Volume II, to give a total of 46 national trend estimates for the 1980s...

Published in 1994, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

Users’ Training Manual: Improving Nutrition Programmes - An assessment Tool for Action

TRAINING MANUAL developed to enhance the capacity of the members of assessment teams to conduct nutrition programme assessments, founded on a common understanding of concepts which underpin effective and sustainable community-based nutrition programmes. The manual is divided into six topics, to be taught over 3 to 5 days. The package can be adapted to...

Published in 2004, by FAO, University of Western Cape