Food and Nutrition Bulletin

Abstract

Background: Agriculture can influence diets through consumption of home-produced foods or increased purchasing power derived from sale of agricultural commodities.

Objective: This article explores cross-sectional relationships between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity (a proxy for micronutrient adequacy) among women of reproductive age in rural Tanzania.

Abstract

Background: Preschool child anthropometric status has been assessed nationally in Nepal since
1975, with semi-decadal surveys since 1996, plus several recent, short-interval surveys to track
progress toward achieving a World Health Assembly (WHA) goal to reduce stunting to 24% by 2025.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the role of protein quality within the first 1000 days of life. The article outlines the importance of protein quality in pregnancy and early growth and examines the potential of high-quality protein in prevention of stunting and treatment of severe and moderate acute malnutrition.

The multisectoral approach has evolved as a popular instrument to attain nutrition goals and targets. But as policy makers, we need timely, relevant, and accurate information in order to effectively support these plans. This commentary comes from the members of the nutrition secretariats at the National Planning Commission in Nepal and the Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda on availability and use of evidence and the nutrition policy cycle.

Global commitments to nutrition have supported calls for better evidence to support effective investments at national level. However, too little attention has so far been paid to the role of governance in achieving impacts. This article explores the ways by which the commitment and capabilities of policy implementers affect collaborative efforts for achieving nutrition goals.

Nepal has a long tradition of designing good multisectoral nutrition policy. However, success of policy implementation has varied. More evidence on how to successfully carry out multisector nutrition policy is needed. This study used a mixed-method longitudinal design to track qualitative and budgetary changes related to MSNP processes nationally as well as in 3 districts. Qualitative changes in each study area were assessed through interviews, observation, news content, and meeting notes.

In 2010, Uganda began developing its first multisectoral nutrition plan, the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP), to reduce malnutrition. While the UNAP signals high-level commitment to addressing nutrition, knowledge gaps remain about how to successfully implement such a plan.

Effective governance is essential for effective nutrition program implementation. There are additional challenges in launching multisector plans to enhance nutritional status. The present study compares the challenges and opportunities in Ethiopia and Nepal in designing and implementing a multisector plan for nutrition. A semi-quantitative questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to solicit information from senior national-level policy officials and other key stakeholders.

Based on the data collected in Uganda, Nepal, and Ethiopia, the papers included in this supplement fill a critical gap in evidence regarding multisectoral National Nutrition Action Plans. The studies offer new data and new thinking on how and why governance, effective financial decentralization, and improved accountability all matter for nutrition actions in low-income countries. This introductory paper offers an overview of the current state of evidence and thinking on the multisectoral nutrition policy cycle, including how governance and financing support that process.

A need for improved empirical evidence for the effectiveness of interventions used in the management of child wasting (moderate and/or severe acute malnutrition) has recently been highlighted. There is no lack of published studies in this field, but when examined through the lens of systematic review protocols, few of these studies stand up to rigorous methodological critique. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge, as supported by high-quality research included in multiple systematic reviews. It also elaborates on the criteria and standards used in such reviews.