Agenda
Reducing Mortality and Morbidity in Malnutrition Satellite at UN SCN 2008 in Hanoi
1 March 2008, 12:00 – 18:00
Hoa Binh Hotel
27 Ly Thuonhg Kiet Background/Context:
The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition’s (SCN) annual meeting will take place in Hanoi on 2-7 March 2008.
This year’s theme is “Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Child Undernutrition,” and the meeting is designed to “tackle the problem of hunger and malnutrition” in relation to meeting Millennium Development Goal 1.
This satellite will focus on interventions to address acute malnutrition in children under three.
Introduction:
Over the last decade, there has been a sea-change in the approach to treating childhood malnutrition with the advent of RUFs, the development of community based care and the arrival of new growth standards. This is a tremendous amount of “food for thought” that demands careful analysis. We must not be deterred by complexity nor should we drag our feet using concerns about cost as an excuse. Before 2000, AIDS treatment was considered too expensive and only prevention programmes received both ministry of health and donor support. Similarly, when new malaria drugs were recommended by WHO in 2001 that cost 15 times more than existing treatments, donors and endemic countries balked.
In 2008, AIDS and malaria treatment are provided routinely with the help of significant subsidies from both bilateral and multilateral mechanisms such as the Global Fund, PEPFAR (USA), World Bank and UNITAID.
But new, more ambitious objectives for reducing mortality and morbidity in acutely malnourished children under three, are not yet enthusiastically supported by donors and ministries of health. Although in June 2007, WHO, UNICEF, WFP and SCN recommended an outpatient/community-based approach with ready-to-use-food (RUF) to treat severe acute malnutrition, this strategy is only being scaled up in a few African countries.
The key reason for success with RUTF is that is a complete, nutrient dense food with a full complement of macro- and micronutrients developed specifically for affected children. But are there other, perhaps more cost-effective means of delivering essential nutrients? How can existing strategies be appropriately adapted and scaled up in other regions, particularly in Asia? Agenda 12.00 Buffet Lunch
13.00 Global malnutrition and access to essential nutrients: spotlight on Asia. Dr. Saskia de Pee (WFP, Italy)
13.05 Therapeutic ready-to-use food (RUF) in African countries: recent experiences and innovations
14.45 Supplemental feeding targeting under threes: the risk of ignoring new evidence
16.10 (Coffee) break
16.30 Asian strategies to address malnutrition: new approaches and practice
27 Ly Thuonhg Kiet Background/Context:
The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition’s (SCN) annual meeting will take place in Hanoi on 2-7 March 2008.
This year’s theme is “Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Child Undernutrition,” and the meeting is designed to “tackle the problem of hunger and malnutrition” in relation to meeting Millennium Development Goal 1.
This satellite will focus on interventions to address acute malnutrition in children under three.
Introduction:
Over the last decade, there has been a sea-change in the approach to treating childhood malnutrition with the advent of RUFs, the development of community based care and the arrival of new growth standards. This is a tremendous amount of “food for thought” that demands careful analysis. We must not be deterred by complexity nor should we drag our feet using concerns about cost as an excuse. Before 2000, AIDS treatment was considered too expensive and only prevention programmes received both ministry of health and donor support. Similarly, when new malaria drugs were recommended by WHO in 2001 that cost 15 times more than existing treatments, donors and endemic countries balked.
In 2008, AIDS and malaria treatment are provided routinely with the help of significant subsidies from both bilateral and multilateral mechanisms such as the Global Fund, PEPFAR (USA), World Bank and UNITAID.
But new, more ambitious objectives for reducing mortality and morbidity in acutely malnourished children under three, are not yet enthusiastically supported by donors and ministries of health. Although in June 2007, WHO, UNICEF, WFP and SCN recommended an outpatient/community-based approach with ready-to-use-food (RUF) to treat severe acute malnutrition, this strategy is only being scaled up in a few African countries.
The key reason for success with RUTF is that is a complete, nutrient dense food with a full complement of macro- and micronutrients developed specifically for affected children. But are there other, perhaps more cost-effective means of delivering essential nutrients? How can existing strategies be appropriately adapted and scaled up in other regions, particularly in Asia? Agenda 12.00 Buffet Lunch
13.00 Global malnutrition and access to essential nutrients: spotlight on Asia. Dr. Saskia de Pee (WFP, Italy)
13.05 Therapeutic ready-to-use food (RUF) in African countries: recent experiences and innovations
- The empirical development of a therapeutic formula for the treatment of malnutrition from F100 to therapeutic pastes (RUF). Importance of delivering the full spectrum of micronutrients to acutely malnourished children. Professor Michael Golden (University of Aberdeen, UK)
- Integrating Community Based Care into Health Systems. Dr. Steve Collins, (Valid International, Ireland)
- Ethiopian experience in treating SAM in children and malnutrition in paediatric and adult HIV/AIDS patients. Professor Tsinuel Girma (Jimma University, Ethiopia)
- Niger experience with preventing malnutrition in high risk population, the 2007 Maradi experience. Dr. Isabelle Defourny (MSF, France)
14.45 Supplemental feeding targeting under threes: the risk of ignoring new evidence
- Current practise in the treatment of Moderate Malnutrition in emergencies. Reflections from a multicentre retrospective study (the SFP-review). Dr. Carlos Navarro Colorado (France)
- Design and evaluation of a lipid-based nutrient supplement to enrich local complementary foods: results from Ghana. Professor Kathryn Dewey (University of California, USA)
- The introduction and use of new food products in WFP’s food basket. Dr. Martin Bloem (World Food Programme, Italy)
16.10 (Coffee) break
16.30 Asian strategies to address malnutrition: new approaches and practice
- New strategies and practice on programmes to address malnutrition in Vietnam. Dr. Truong Hong Son and Dr. Nguyen Cong Khan, (National Institute of Nutrition, Vietnam)
- Solutions promoted by the Right to Food Movement and recent Indian experience. Dr. Veena Shatrugna (Right to Food Movement, India)