|
Mother, Infant and Young Child Nutrition and Malnutrition

|
Resources
Click > Nutrition & Malnutrition Resources specifically for India
Knowledge is built incrementally with one person building upon the work
of another. The more we make this process easy the faster knowledge will
reach and thus benefit all of human kind.
In order to provide more comprehensive and meaningful search results on our site, several reports are available for viewing and download directly. Kindly
visit the main sites of the author organisations for more complete and updated information. We acknowledge our gratitude to the many people and sources whose work has been
drawn freely upon. We thank them all.
"If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton

Breastfeeding Gateway
|
Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done
Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Nearly one in five child deaths – about 1.5 million each year – is
due to diarrhoea. It kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Today, only 39 per cent of children with diarrhoea in
developing countries receive the recommended treatment, and limited trend data suggest that there has been little progress since 2000.
Read more |
Why Is Breastfeeding So Important?
Download .pdf 17.5 mb.
Breastfeeding provides the perfect nutrition for your baby and provides many health benefits for both mother and baby.
- Initiating breast feeding within the first hour and exclusive breastfeeding can prevent under two mortality.
- Breastfeeding: Exclusive breastfeeding
- Colostrum - Gift of a protective cover from the mother
- We believe all mothers know how to feed their child. But do they?
- Myths and facts about breast milk
- Complimentary feeding
- Role of media in promoting proper young child feeding: Media should focus on and promote measures that are required to be taken urgently to ensure the survival of children
|
WHO e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA)
10 August 2011 | Colombo/Geneva - In a bid to stop millions of people dying and suffering every year from malnutrition, WHO today is launching a new
web-powered initiative that clarifies guidance on life-saving nutrition interventions, and assists governments and healthcare providers to better
scale up action against all forms of malnutrition.
An e-library for nutrition
The WHO e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA), launched during today’s opening of a three-day Asia regional nutrition meeting in Sri Lanka,
helps governments overcome one of the major challenges in fighting malnutrition: the vast, and often conflicting, array of evidence and advice
that exists on effective, preventive and therapeutic nutrition interventions.
The online eLENA project does this by prioritizing and presenting the latest advice on tackling the three main forms of malnutrition: undernutrition,
vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and overweight and obesity.
Publication:
Scaling up Nutrition: A framework for Action - pdf 1.2Mb |
|
Global Health eLearning Center
Nutrition: An Introduction
Research shows that inadequate maternal and child nutrition is the underlying cause of 3.5 million deaths every year and 35 percent of the disease burden for children under 5 years of age.
However, universal coverage of proven nutrition-related interventions could reduce overall mortality of children under 3 by 25 percent.
Are you familiar with the basic concepts of good nutrition?
How does nutrition affect maternal and child health?
What are common nutritional deficiencies, vulnerable groups, and the causes of undernutrition?
The Nutrition course covers the basic concepts of good nutrition and common
nutritional deficiencies, the magnitude of malnutrition in different
populations, the causes of undernutrition in vulnerable groups, and key
indicators and ways of measuring them. It also outlines the major
population-based interventions to improve nutritional status. One-time
registration at www.globalhealthlearning.org gives you free access to this and 49 other
courses that cover a variety of global health topics.
|
Films for women in the community, community workers and health workers
Medical Aid Films (MAF - MedicalAidFilms.org)
is a cutting edge film-making charity. We produce training films and
animations for grassroots health workers in low income countries. Our films
provide information and medical techniques on issues surrounding safe
childbirth and infant health, with the aim of saving the lives of vulnerable
women and children around the world.
Approximately one woman a minute dies in childbirth. We hope that by using
film and animation to train health workers, we can overcome literacy and
language barriers that so often impede learning.
Warning Signs in Pregnancy
This film is aimed at community health workers, traditional birth attendants and women in the community. Its objective
is to educate them about the warning signs in pregnancy that they should be aware of, and the checks they should carry
out, so that skilled obstetric care can be sought out as soon ...
Neonatal Resuscitation - Skilled Health Worker Version
This teaching film is aimed at skilled health workers equipped with a stethoscope and a bag and a mask. It teaches
the essential steps to perform Neonatal Resuscitation, based on the Resuscitation Council UK's guidelines. © Medical Aid Films - 2011
Understanding your body: How to plan a pregnancy
This film is aimed at teenagers and young adults and presents the various methods available to plan a pregnancy. © Medical Aid Films - 2011
Understanding your body: How babies are made
This is a film aimed at early teens and young adults. It describes what puberty is and how babies are made using a
mixture of animation and expert advice as well as from vox-pop's from young men and women in Nairobi. © Medical Aid Films - 2011
How to use the ultrasound probe
This animation is part of MAF's Basic Obstetric Ultrasound Module. Films of this module are to be used when training
midwives and clinical officers in basic obstetric ultrasound. MAF tested this film while training clinical officers and nurses in Mozambique. Very few people living in low resource areas
Cervical cancer screening: visual inspection of the cervix using acetic acid (VIA)
This is an animation showing a method of screening for cervical cancer in resource poor, developing countries. Test
such as the pap smear require access to skilled health care and labs for testing samples and HPV (the virus responsible for most cervical cancers) testing kits remain expensive, yet VIA
Ten steps to safe delivery
This follows Neema a village birth attendant while she helps to deliver a baby in a rural setting where there is no access to trained health
care workers. The 10 key steps for the audience to learn are then repeated at the end of the film to ensure that they are taking away the correct message.
Management of PPH - Low resource setting
This animation is aimed at women and TBAs. It teaches how to prevent and manage PPH in settings where skilled obstetric
care can be reached within a reasonable period of time (less than four hours). It includes the use of Misoprostol. © Medical Aid Films - 2011
Management of PPH - No resource setting
Primary Post-partum Haemorrhage (PPH) is one of the major causes of maternal death in the developing world. This
animation is aimed at women and TBAs. It teaches how to prevent and manage PPH in settings where it would take the
woman more than 4 hours to reach skilled obstetric care. It demonstrates
Food for Life: What Pregnant Women Need to Eat
© Medical Aid Films - 2011
Food for life: What and when to feed you child?
© Medical Aid Films - 2011
Food for life: Breastfeeding
© Medical Aid Films - 2011
The Story of MAF
With experts in the field of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Midwifery and Paediatrics as founders and trustees of MAF
our focus lies on improving the conditions for mothers, infants and children in the developing world who have little or no access to essential health care.
MAF: How we work
The growth in mobile technologies across the developing world allows us to blend the inspirational skills of media
and medical professionals together to produce our medical aid films. These films focus on bringing education and
knowledge to the people that need it the most, including health providers |
|
The Case for Preventing Malnutrition Through Improved Infant Feeding and Management of Childhood Illness 4 pages 219 kb The advent of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) products has greatly improved the coverage and effectiveness treatment for severe acute
malnutrition (SAM). The excitement surrounding this development has led to rapid expansion of SAM treatment activities, often without regard to the
prevalence of SAM, the capacity of local health systems to absorb expansion, or the contribution of SAM to overall child mortality. In the context of
limited health budgets, on epidemiological and ethical grounds treatment approaches are in most situations a less rational public health investment
than approaches that prevent SAM and other types of malnutrition. |
Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition and Out Patient Therapeutic Programme Training Material
- Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Training Videos
Federal Ministry of Health and UNICEF, Ethiopia, 2009 Oromifa and Tigrinian versions presently under development
If you have any problems with watching the videos, please ensure you
have the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Click here to download
1. Introduction - What is Severe Acute Malnutrition?
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
2. Community Mobilization
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
3. Screening for Acute Malnutrition
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
4. Checking for Complications
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
5. Appetite Testing Techniques
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
6. Assessment and Classification of a Child with Acute Malnutrition
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
7. OTP Admission Procedure
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
8. Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition in OTP and Follow Up
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
9. Discharge Criteria
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
Exercise 1 - Assessing for Presence of Severe Acute Malnutrition
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
Exercise 2 - Assessing, Classifying and Taking Action
English
> high definition YouTube
| Amharic
> high definition YouTube
- Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition at Health Post level, Quick Reference for Health Extension Workers
Federal Ministry of Health and UNICEF, Ethiopia, 2009
English 26 pages 5 mb
Afar 26 pages 4.2 mb
Amharic 27 pages 5.3 mb
Oromifa 26 pages 4.4 mb
Somali 26 pages 4.8 mb
Tigrigna 27 pages 5.2 mb
-
Protocol for the Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition

122 pages 3 mb - Federal Ministry of Health with UNICEF support, Ethiopia, March 2007
- How to Identify Acute Malnutrition in a Child?? Screening Poster
Federal Ministry of Health and UNICEF, Ethiopia, 2007
English 1 page 1.2 mb |
.jpg image 4.7 mb
Amharic 1 page 1.2 mb |
.jpg image 4.8 mb
Oromifa 1 page 1.2 mb |
.jpg image 4.9 mb
Somali 1 page 1.1 mb |
.jpg image 4.7 mb
Tigrignaa 1 page 1.1 mb |
.jpg image 4.8 mb
-
National Protocol for the Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition, Patient from 6 months old,, Wall Chart

1 page 188 kb - Federal Ministry of Health with UNICEF support, Ethiopia, March 2007
-
Outpatient Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition, Flow Chart

1 page 128 kb - Federal Ministry of Health and UNICEF, Ethiopia, 2009
-
Emotional Stimulation in the Context of Emergency Food Intervention

36 pages 605 kb - Play Therapy Africa, Ethiopia, August 2009
Ethiopia Links:
Federal Ministry of Health |
UNICEF |
Play Therapy Africa |
Ghana: Training Guide for Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM)
Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Publications
A significant gap remains between need and capacity for management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children. This is despite clear advances
in the development and implementation of international and national protocols for the management of SAM, as well as guidelines and training for
inpatient care of severely acutely malnourished children. The Training Guide for Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) aims
to address this gap by increasing knowledge of and building practical skills to implement CMAM in both emergency and non-emergency contexts.
This work was supported by UNICEF, USAID and AED. The guide is available for
free download.
More information
Copies of the CD-ROM are available by emailing your request to fanta2@aed.org. |
World Health Statistics 2009
World Health Statistics 2009 contains WHO's annual compilation of data from its 193 Member States, and includes a summary of progress
towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals and targets. This edition also contains a new section on reported cases of selected infectious diseases.
Progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Fact sheet N°290
DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT
Available in 6 languages
Arabic [pdf 9.35Mb] |
Chinese [pdf 6.85Mb] |
English [pdf 6.05Mb] |
French |
Russian [pdf 4.85Mb] |
Spanish
WHO child growth standards and the identification of severe acute
malnutrition in infants and children
A Joint Statement by the World Health Organization and the United Nations
Children’s Fund - May 2009 -
12 pages 3 mb
This statement presents the recommended cut-offs, summarizes the rationale for their adoption and advocates for their harmonized application in the
identification of 6–60 month old infants and children for the management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). It also reviews the implications on patient
load, on discharge criteria and on programme planning and monitoring. |
Learning from large-scale community-based programmes to improve
breastfeeding practices
83
pages 1 mb
This review provides useful programmatic recommendations based on lessons learned from large-scale programmes to improve breastfeeding practices in 10
countries: in Africa (Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, and Mali), in Asia (Cambodia, India, and Nepal), and in Latin America (Bolivia and Honduras).
A large body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of breastfeeding for child survival, growth, and development. An estimated 1.30-1.45 million
child deaths could be prevented each year with improved breastfeeding practices. Community-based breastfeeding promotion and support is one of the
key components of a comprehensive programme to improve breastfeeding practices, as outlined in the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and
Young Child Feeding (IYCF). |
Acceptable medical reasons for use of breast-milk substitutes WHO - 2009
12 pages - 209 kb
A list of acceptable medical reasons for supplementation was originally
developed by WHO and UNICEF as an annex to the Baby-friendly Hospital
Initiative (BFHI) package of tools in 1992. WHO and UNICEF agreed to update
the list of medical reasons given that new scientific evidence had emerged
since 1992, and that the BFHI package of tools was also being updated. The
process was led by the departments of Child and Adolescent Health and
Development (CAH) and Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD). |
World Population Highlights 2007: Malnutrition
This article is excerpted from the Population Bulletin, "World Population Highlights: Key Findings From PRB's 2007 World Population
Data Sheet." (PDF: 945KB)
16 pages - 972 kb - download
pdf document
Landscape Analysis on countries' readiness to accelerate action in nutrition
84 pages 2.5 mb
United Nations System - Standing Committee on Nutrition
SCN News - No 37 early-2009 ISSN 1564-3743
This issue of SCN News focuses on the Landscape Analysis on
Readiness to Accelerate Nutrition Action with Chizuru Nishida of WHO as the Special Guest Editor. It describes the country assessments
undertaken in five countries that are part of the 36 high-burden countries identified by the Lancet Nutrition Series. The Landscape Analysis
country assessment is led by the countries and facilitated by the partner agencies of the SCN constituencies, including WHO, UNICEF, FAO,
WFP, IFAD, Helen Keller International, GAIN, and the Medical Research Council of South Africa, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation. The Landscape Analysis is an important follow-up to the Lancet Nutrition Series in order to understand how existing commitment
and capacity at the country level can be utilized to scale-up the evidence-based nutrition interventions and to further strengthen weak areas.
The outcome of the Landscape Analysis will help the development or the update of country action plans and will facilitate the
mobilization of resources for implementation. We hope that the agencies participating in the SCN will look at the process of the Landscape
Analysis to be inspired in their approach to programme development, and to draw on the specific results achieved in this first group of
countries in setting their action priorities. |
How are we doing on poverty and hunger reduction?
12 pages 313 kb
A new measure of country performance
Ugo Gentilini, Patrick Webb
The paper presents a new composite indicator – the Poverty and Hunger Index (PHI) – to measure countries’ performance towards achieving MDG1
on halving poverty and hunger by 2015. The PHI combines all five official MDG1 indicators, including a) the proportion of population living
on less than US$ 1/day, b) poverty gap ratio, c) share of the poorest quintile in national income or consumption, d) prevalence of
underweight in children under five years of age, and d) the proportion of population undernourished.
Data for the five MDG1 indicators are compiled for the 81 countries which together account for 90 percent of the world poverty and 85
percent of global undernourishment. The analysis shows a weak correlation between undernourishment and child underweight; this is in line
with a growing body of evidence documenting that reducing income poverty or improving the food supply without changing the way young
children are fed and cared for does little to reduce levels of undernutrition among children. |
Health and Nutrition Modules
The Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster
Response: Nutrition Training Modules 2004
This is a short technical training course in the Sphere Minimum Standards
and Key Indicators for health and nutrition. Practicing health and nutrition
specialists have written this course, which is designed to build technical
capacity in mid-level technical specialists.
Following broadly the structure of the Sphere Training Modules, these highly
engaging materials contain numerous examples and case studies from actual
field situations. The nutrition training would take approx. two full days
(depending on the audience), and the health training would take 1.5 days
(again depending on the level of the audience). They can be run
independently, however Sphere Training Module 1 should be given first, as
they assume a working knowledge with the handbook in the participants before
the training starts. A case study, based on South Sudan in 1988, synthesises
information given in both the health and nutrition sections, and can be used
over an additional ½ day to consolidate the learning.
This course consists of two modules, each broken down into session plans
that are 1-2.5 hours in length. Each session plan emphasises a priority
Minimum Standard or Key Indicator from the Sphere handbook. The group of
specialists who produced the modules have agreed that the material covered
is priority knowledge for the target audience. All together, including the
Sphere Project Training Module 1 and the case study, this course would last
4.5 days. It is a worthwhile investment for field staff.
You can download these course materials (trainers notes, exercises and
readings) by clicking on the tabulated links below. You will also find a
link to the full list of documents provided.
See list of documents |
Download |
A Toolkit for Addressing Nutrition in Emergency Situations 87 pages 583kb
June 2008 - Nutrition Cluster - The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
The basic right to adequate food and nutrition is implicit in any emergency response and is reflected in humanitarian law. The purpose of
this toolkit is to provide an easy reference tool for nutritional response during and after an emergency situation. Too often, in the
high-pressure context of emergencies, key aspects of nutritional health and well-being are not adequately addressed. Poor decisions are made
in the short-term, which have long-term negative impacts on the nutritional stability of the affected populations. Failure to meet the
nutritional needs of populations in emergencies jeopardizes the ability to resist and fight infectious diseases. Growth and development,
particularly of children and women, is disrupted resulting in increased childhood malnutrition, poor reproductive health and worsening
pregnancy outcomes.
The Interventions
1. Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
2. Treatment of diarrhoea with ORT/Zinc
3. Prevention and Treatment of Vitamin A Deficiency
4. Prevention and Treatment of Micronutrient Deficiencies
5. Management of Moderate Acute Malnutrition
6. Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition
7. Nutrition, HIV and AIDS
8. The Psychosocial Components of Nutrition
9. Nutritional care for Groups with Special Needs
10. The Use and Role of Food Assistance
11. Food Handling, Storage and Preparation
12. Household Food Security and Livelihoods |
Improving the nutrition status
of children and women 6 pages 371kb
research findings for development policymakers and practitioners id21 insights 73 - July 2008
The high world food prices that we are currently experiencing provide a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of large parts of
sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to hunger and undernutrition. Many children in these regions are vulnerable to poor growth, poor development and death. |
Sight
and Life Magazine - Issue 1/2008 64 pages 3.4mb
Perhaps the most far-reaching of SIGHT AND LIFE’s knowledge-based initiatives is the publication of the SIGHT AND LIFE Magazine, which
carries news, features, letters and editorials on nutrition and health-related projects and research activities – supported by SIGHT AND
LIFE or otherwise – from on-the-ground practioners as well as leading experts and policymakers in public health and nutrition. Through the
Magazine, SIGHT AND LIFE seeks to provide faster access to new and reusable knowledge and insight to people at all levels of practice from
people at all levels of engagement in the fight against Hidden Hunger.
Magazine Archive
This issue: Folic Acid and Arsenic; Combating Vitamin A Deficiency; in Eight Countries; National Family Health Survey of India; Night
Blindness in India; Vitamin A Deficiency in Ethiopia; KAP on Iron Deficiency; NIH Vitamin D Conference; A Day in the Life; Critical Review
on Vitamin D; News; Letters to the Editor; Publications |
Infant and Young Child Feeding and Nutrition
Feeding is a critical aspect of caring for infants and young children. Appropriate feeding practices stimulate bonding with the
caregiver and psycho-social development. They lead to improved nutrition and physical growth, reduced susceptibility to common childhood
infections and better resistance to cope with them. Improved health outcomes in young children have long-lasting health effects
throughout the life-span, including increased performance and productivity, and reduced risk of certain non-communicable diseases.
Child Feeding and Nutrition ( 2-5 years age )
Malnutrition contributes to more than half of all childhood deaths, although it is rarely listed as the direct cause. For most children,
lack of access to food is not the only cause of malnutrition. Poor feeding practices and infection, or a combination of the two, are
both major factors of malnutrition. Infection - particularly frequent or persistent diarrhoea, pneumonia, measles and malaria -
undermines nutritional status. Poor feeding practices, such as inadequate breastfeeding, offering the wrong foods, giving insufficient
quantities, and not ensuring that the child gets enough food, contribute to malnutrition.
Malnourished children are, in turn, more vulnerable to disease and the vicious circle is established.
Improved feeding practices to prevent or treat malnutrition could save 800,000 lives per year.
- Counselling for mothers and caretakers
- Micronutrient supplements
- Management of severe malnutrition
Adolescent Nutrition
Adolescence represents a window of opportunity to prepare for a healthy adult life. During adolescence, nutritional problems originating
earlier in life can potentially be corrected, in addition to addressing current ones. It is also a timely period to shape and
consolidate healthy eating and lifestyle behaviours, thereby preventing or postponing the onset of nutrition-related chronic diseases in
adulthood.
As adolescents have a low prevalence of infections such as pneumonia and gastroenteritis compared with younger children, and of chronic
disease compared with ageing people, they have generally been given little health and nutrition attention, except for reproductive
health concerns. However, there are nutritional issues, which are adolescent-specific, and which call for specific strategies and
approaches.
The main issues in adolescent nutrition are:
- Micronutrient deficiencies (iron deficiency and anaemia)
- Malnutrition and stunting
- Obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases
- Adolescents eating patterns and lifestyles
- Nutrition in relation to early pregnancy
|
Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Continued Breastfeeding from 6–24 +
Months: Issues, Politics, Policies & Action 6 pages 403 kb
The Joint Statement on Continued Breastfeeding was produced following the
WABA GBPM in October 2008 in response to shared concerns that breastfeeding
after 6 months has slipped off the policy and programme agenda. Action and
investment in improving complementary feeding or providing foods supplements
seems to be taking place with little consideration for supporting or
improving breastfeeding amongst 6 < 24+ month old children, despite
estimates that 20% of deaths in 12 < 24 month age group in developing
countries are due to lack of breastfeeding. The statement calls upon
everyone involved in improving the health and development of infants and
young children to take steps to ensure that continued breastfeeding 6-24+
months is protected, promoted and supported as the precondition for, and
foundation of, appropriate complementary feeding. Steps for action
encompassing communication, education and promotion; practical support;
breastfeeding as part of complementary feeding; definitions and monitoring;
addressing misinformation through marketing and special circumstances are described.
Click
here for the statement.
|
|
Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC) 163 pages 1.4mb
A Field Manual, First Edition, 2006
This manual reflects the experience gained over five years of implementing and developing Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC). It is a practical guide that aims to help
health and nutrition managers to design, implement and evaluate CTC programmes. It will also be relevant to a variety of others working in relief and development:
- Field practitioners who want a better understanding of CTC programmes.
- Project managers with Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) agencies addressing problems of acute malnutrition.
- Government officials within Ministries of Health and other government and middle-level agencies who want to learn about CTC and where it might be an appropriate response.
- Technical specialists with the UN, donor agencies and non governmental organisation (NGO) headquarters who want to understand what CTC programmes involve and deliver.
- Evaluators who want to know the issues relevant to CTC.
|
|
Protocol for the Management of
Severe Acute Malnutrition 122 pages 2.9mb
Ethiopia - Federal Ministry of Health
March 2007
Guidelines for
the Management of the Severely Malnourished 119 pages 3.3mb
http://motherchildnutrition.org/resources/pdf/mcn-guidelines-for-the-management-of-the-severely-malnourished.pdf
Michael Golden & Yvonne Grellety September 2006
There are about 40 different nutrients that are essential for health. If any one of these is deficient in the diet the person will not be fully healthy and able to resist the
agents of disease.
The nutrients are divided into two classes. Type I nutrients are the functional nutrients that are required for the hormonal, immunological, biochemical and other processes of
the body to function normally. Most of the micronutrients fall into this category. Individuals can be very deficient in these nutrients and not have any anthropometric
abnormalities (i.e. they can have grown normally and have a normal body weight). Anthropometric surveys do not give us information about the prevalence of type I nutrient
deficiencies. Their deficiency does cause major illness and increased likelihood of death (e.g. iron, iodine and vitamin A deficiency). Deficiency of several of these
nutrients, particularly the anti-oxidant nutrients, is the probable cause of oedematous malnutrition (kwashiorkor). |
WHO, UNICEF, and SCN Informal Consultation on Community-Based Management of Severe Malnutrition in Children
108 pages 2mb
Claudine Prudhon, André Briend, Zita Weise Prinzo, Bernadette M.E.G. Daelmans, and John B. Mason, guest editors SCN Nutrition Policy Paper No. 21
Putting the management of severe malnutrition back on the international health agenda
Severe malnutrition, defined by severe wasting (weight-for-height < –3 z-scores or < 70% of the median National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organization [NCHS/WHO]
reference) and/or the presence of nutritional oedema, is a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. How many lives would better treatment of severe child
malnutrition save?
Severe malnutrition: Report of
a consultation to review current literature
52 pages 356kb Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization
Community-Based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition
8 pages 393kb
A Joint Statement by the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition and the United Nations Children’s Fund
Severe acute malnutrition 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. New evidence suggests, however, that large numbers of children
with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre.
The community-based approach involves timely detection of severe acute malnutrition in the community and provision of treatment for
those without medical complications with ready-to-use therapeutic foods or other nutrient-dense foods at home. If properly combined
with a facility-based approach for those malnourished children with medical complications and implemented on a large scale,
community-based management of severe acute malnutrition could prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children. |
Assessment of Severe Malnutrition Among Hospitalized Children in Rural Kenya Comparison of Weight for Height and Mid Upper Arm Circumference
7 pages 135kb
Context Severe malnutrition has a high mortality rate among hospitalized children in sub-Saharan Africa. However, reports suggest that malnutrition is often poorly
assessed. The World Health Organization recommends using weight for height, but this method is problematic and often not undertaken in practice. Mid upper arm circumference
(MUAC) and the clinical sign "visible severe wasting" are simple and inexpensive methods but have not been evaluated in this setting.
Objectives To evaluate MUAC and visible severe wasting as predictors of inpatient
mortality at a district hospital in sub-Saharan Africa and to compare these with weightfor- height z score (WHZ).
MUAC Resources |
Every death counts: use of mortality audit data for decision making to save the lives of mothers, babies, and children in South Africa
11 pages 647kb
South Africa is one of the few developing countries with a national confi dential inquiry into maternal deaths. 164 health facilities obtain audit data for stillbirths and
neonatal deaths, and a new audit network does so for child deaths. Three separate reports have been published, providing valuable information about avoidable causes of death
for mothers, babies, and children. These reports make health-system recommendations, many of which overlap and are intertwined with the scarcity of progress in addressing
HIV/AIDS. The leaders of these three reports have united to prioritise actions to save the lives of South Africa's mothers, babies, and children. The country is off -track for
the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Mortality in children younger than 5 years has increased, whereas maternal and neonatal mortality remain constant. This
situation indicates the challenge of strengthening the health system because of high inequity and HIV/AIDS. Coverage of services is fairly high, but addressing the gaps in
quality and equity is essential to increasing the number of lives saved. Consistent leadership and accountability to address crosscutting health system and equity issues, and
to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, would save tens of thousands of lives every year. Audit is powerful, but only if the data lead to action. |
Guidance on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling in health facilities
60 pages 2.3mb - WHO - UNAIDS - HIV/AIDS Programme - Strengthening health services to fight HIV/AIDS
Guidelines for the Implementation of Reliable and Efficient diagnostic HIV Testing
48 pages 565kb - PAHO - WHO - Technical series on HIV comprehensive care with public health approach (CC-VIH)
 |
Breast Crawl
Initiation of Breastfeeding by Breast Crawl
visit breastcrawl.org for video and complete dossier.
UNICEF, WHO and WABA along with the scientific community strongly recommend initiating breastfeeding within an hour of birth.
Evidence shows that early initiation can prevent 22% of all deaths among babies below one month in developing countries.
Every newborn, when placed on the mother's abdomen, soon after birth, has the ability to find its mother's breast
all on its own and to decide when to take the first breastfeed. This is called the "Breast Crawl".
This method is evidence based and has been field tested by us. A documentary on the "Breast Crawl" has been prepared
for training, advocacy and for wider dissemination. The video has created a very high level of sensitivity among all
the levels of functionaries and was officially endorsed by senior policy makers as the right approach for initiating
breastfeeding. This dossier provides the background and a scientific overview to the documentary.
We are sure that this documentary and dossier will greatly help similar initiatives worldwide. It is our strong
desire that this information helps every mother and baby to experience the miracle of Breast Crawl. If we all could
achieve early initiation of breastfeeding, we will be able to prevent 22% of all deaths among babies below 1 month.
This can be achieved by training all health care providers to initiate breastfeeding, by Breast Crawl, to give infants the best start in life. |
|
The
WHO Child Growth Standards
India - National Workshop on Adoption of New WHO Child Growth Standards
The WHO web site presents complete information on the WHO Child Growth Standards.
These standards were developed using data collected in the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study. The site presents documentation on
how the physical growth curves and motor milestone windows of achievement were developed as well as application tools to support implementation of the standards.

Documentation The following documents describe the sample and methods used to construct the standards and present the final charts.
WHO Child Growth Standards: Methods and development
Acta Paediatrica Supplement
Chart catalogue |
en español
Indicators
The following links provide access to the first and second set of the WHO child growth standards (0-60 months):
:: Length/height-for-age
:: Weight-for-age
:: Weight-for-length
:: Weight-for-height
:: Body mass index-for-age (BMI-for-age)
:: Head circumference-for-age
:: Arm circumference-for-age
:: Subscapular skinfold-for-age
:: Triceps skinfold-for-age
:: Motor development milestones
Backgrounders
 |
WHO Child Growth Standards - Methods and development
Length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age
pdf 26.6 mb - 336 pages
In 1993 the World Health Organization (WHO) undertook a comprehensive review of the uses and interpretation of anthropometric
references. The review concluded that the NCHS/WHO growth reference, which had been recommended for international use since the
late 1970s, did not adequately represent early childhood growth and that new growth curves were necessary. The World Health
Assembly endorsed this recommendation in 1994. In response WHO undertook the Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) between
1997 and 2003 to generate new curves for assessing the growth and development of children the world over. |
The MGRS combined a longitudinal follow-up from birth to 24 months and a cross-sectional survey of children aged 18 to 71
months. Primary growth data and related information were gathered from 8440 healthy breastfed infants and young children from
widely diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and USA). The MGRS is unique in that
it was purposely designed to produce a standard by selecting healthy children living under conditions likely to favour the
achievement of their full genetic growth potential. Furthermore, the mothers of the children selected for the construction of
the standards engaged in fundamental health-promoting practices, namely breastfeeding and not smoking.
 |
Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding WHO - UNICEF
pdf 440 kb - 37 pages
WHO and UNICEF jointly developed the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding to revitalize world attention to the
impact that feeding practices have on the nutritional status, growth and development, health, and thus the very survival of infants and young children.
The Global Strategy is based on the evidence of nutrition's significance in the early months and years of life, and of the
crucial role that appropriate feeding practices play in achieving optimal health outcomes. Lack of breastfeeding - and
especially lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first half-year of life - are important risk factors for infant and
childhood morbidity and mortality that are only compounded by inappropriate complementary feeding. The life-long impact includes
poor school performance, reduced productivity, and impaired intellectual and social development. |
 |
Management of Severe Malnutrition: A Manual for Physicians and Other Senior Health Workers
pdf 1.2 mb - 68 pages
Malnutrition remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children throughout the world. Approximately
9% of children below 5 years of age suffer from wasting (weight-for-height below 22 standard deviations (,22 SD) of the National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/WHO reference values) and are at risk of death or severe impairment of growth and psychological development. |
This manual is based on The treatment and management of severe protein-energy malnutrition, which was published by WHO in 1981.
Since then, many advances have been made in the treatment of severe malnutrition. An improved oral rehydration salts (ORS)
solution has been developed for the treatment of dehydration. Advances in knowledge of the physiological roles of micronutrients
have led to improved dietary management during the initial phase of treatment. It has been shown that physical and psychological
stimulation, as well as care and affection, are necessary during the rehabilitation phase in order to prevent retardation of growth and psychological development.
This manual provides guidelines for the treatment of severely malnourished children (below 5 years of age) in hospitals and
health centres. The treatment of severely malnourished adolescents and adults is also briefly considered. The manual is intended
for health personnel working at central and district level, including physicians, nurses, midwives and auxiliaries.
 |
Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development A Strategy for Large-Scale Action - 2006
pdf 1.6 mb - 272 pages - original at
World Bank site
Persistent malnutrition contributes not only to widespread failure to meet the first Millennium Development Goal—to halve
poverty and hunger—but also to meet other goals related to maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, education, and gender equity.
Underweight prevalence among children is the key indicator for measuring progress on nonincome poverty, and malnutrition remains
the world's most serious health problem—as well as the single largest contributor to child mortality. Nearly one-third of
children in the developing world are underweight or stunted, and more than 30 percent of the developing world's population
suffers from micronutrient deficiencies. Moreover, new malnutrition problems are emerging: the epidemic of obesity and
diet-related noncommunicable diseases is spreading to the developing world, and malnutrition is linked to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. |
Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development: A Strategy for Large-Scale Action makes the case that development
partners and developing countries must increase investment in nutrition programs. This case is based on evidence that the scale
of the problem is very large and that nutrition interventions are essential for speeding poverty reduction, have high
benefit-cost ratios, and can improve nutrition much faster than reliance on economic growth alone. Moreover, improved nutrition
can drive economic growth. The report proposes to the international development community and national governments a global strategy for accelerated action in nutrition.
 |
Counting on Communication: The Uganda Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project - 2005 - World Bank Working Paper No. 59
pdf 3.2 mb - 56 pages - original at
World Bank site
Counting on Communication is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. These papers are published to communicate the results
of the Bank's ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion. This publication is the first in a series of Working Papers
sponsored by the Development Communication Division (DevComm) of the World Bank's External Affairs Vice-Presidency. This series
is designed to share innovations and lessons learned in the application of strategic communication in development projects.
Together with other donors, NGOs, and private sector partners, DevComm seeks to mainstream the discipline of development communication in development practice. |
The Uganda Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project was one of DevComm's first projects to demonstrate the valueadded
of strategic communication. The strategic communication component developed for this project included the use of formative
research about values and attitudes with respect to child rearing, in order to develop and test effective messages. The
communication strategy was developed in a highly participatory manner and included nurturing a team of champions for the project
among policymakers, district officials, community leaders, and grassroots organizations to advocate for the project. It also
included two-way communication activities developed to address the practices and behaviours that would need to be changed in
order for the project to be successful, rather than merely disseminating messages based on assumptions of project benefits.
World Bank Working Papers are available individually or by subscription, both in print and online.
 |
Wiesmann, Doris. 2006.
2006 Global Hunger Index: A
Basis for Cross-Country Comparisons. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. - October 13, 2006
The International Food Policy Research Institute has released its new Global Hunger Index, an innovative and enhanced approach
for measuring hunger in developing and transitional countries. The index reveals hunger hotspots, shows which countries and
regions have improved over time, and demonstrates the links between hunger and violent conflict.
|
Severe Malnutrition
List of publications
 |
Management of severe malnutrition: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers Geneva, World Health Organization, 1999
Chinese version under preparation. Farsi and Indonesian versions available in-country.
Cover [pdf 465kb]
|
English [pdf 1.46Mb]
|
French [pdf 878kb] |
Spanish [pdf 142kb]
|
Portuguese [pdf 263kb]
|
To order a hard copy |
This manual provides expert practical guidelines for the management of severely malnourished children.
Addressed to doctors and other senior health workers, the manual explains exactly what must be done to save lives, achieve
successful management and rehabilitation, prevent relapse, and thus give these children the greatest chance of full recovery.
Throughout, the importance of treating severe malnutrition as both a medical and a social disorder is repeatedly emphasized. As
successful management does not require sophisticated facilities and equipment or highly qualified personnel, the manual also
performs a persuasive function, encouraging health professionals to do all they can to save these children and meet their great need for care and affection.
Recommended procedures draw on extensive practical experience as well as several recent therapeutic advances. These include
improved solutions of oral rehydration salts for the treatment of dehydration, better understanding of the role of
micronutrients in dietary management, and growing evidence that physical and psychological stimulation can help prevent
long-term consequences of impaired growth and psychological development. Noting that the physiology of malnourished children is
seriously abnormal, the manual gives particular attention to aspects of management - whether involving the interpretation of
symptoms or the use of specific interventions - that differ considerably from standard procedures for well-nourished children.
Details range from the reasons why IV infusion easily causes overhydration and heart failure, through a list of treatments that
have no value and should never be used, to the simple reminder that underarm temperature is not a reliable guide to body temperature in a malnourished child during rewarming.
Further practical guidance is provided in eight appendices, which use numerous tables, charts, sample recording forms,
instructions for preparing feeds, and examples of easily constructed toys to help ensure that management is thorough, safe, and in line with the latest knowledge. |
Micronutrient Sprinkles to Control Childhood Anaemia
A simple powdered sachet may be the key to addressing a global problem
Recent World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children's Fund estimates suggest that the number of children with iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is greater than 750
million. Iron deficiency is the most common preventable nutritional problem despite continued global goals for its control. Historically, the problem of IDA in children
largely disappeared in North America when foods fortified with iron and other micronutrients became available for children. In this group, the prevalence of IDA has fallen from
21% in 1974 to 13% in 1994. Although pockets of infants and children remain at risk, generally, the eradication of iron deficiency in developed countries is recognized as a
successful public health accomplishment. This solution has not worked in developing countries where commercially purchased
fortified foods are not available or are not used. |
Related publications
Management of the child with a serious infection or severe malnutrition: Guidelines for care at first referral level in developing countries Geneva, World Health Organization, 2000
English [pdf 2.2Mb]
|
French [pdf 2.3Mb]
| HTML format
Pocket book of hospital care for children: guidelines for the management of common illnesses with limited resources
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2005
High resolution [pdf 10.3Mb]
|
Low resolution [pdf 2 Mb]
Community-based management of severe malnutrition in children
In preparation for the joint WHO/SCN/UNICEF Meeting on Community-based Management of Severe Malnutrition in Children
conducted in November 2005, four background papers were commissioned by the Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development
and by the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development of WHO. A fifth paper was written by an NGO. These papers can be
downloaded from this web page. The meeting report and the background paper are presented by a short introduction paper.
Introduction
Briend A, Prudhon C, Weise Prinzo Z, Daelmans B, Mason J. Putting back the management of severe malnutrition on the international health agenda
Full text [pdf 46kb]

Meeting report
Proceedings of the WHO, UNICEF and SCN Informal Consultation on Community-Based Management of Severe Malnutrition in Children
Full text [pdf 556kb]

Background papers
Myatt M, Khara T, Collins S. A review of methods to detect cases of severely malnourished children in the community for their admission into community-based therapeutic care programs -
Full text [pdf 297kb]

Ashworth A. Efficacy and effectiveness of community-based treatment of severe malnutrition -
Full text [pdf 936kb]

Collins S, Sadler K, Dent N, Khara T, GuerreroS, Myatt M, Saboya M, Walsh A. Key issues in the success of community-based management of severe malnutrition -
Full text [pdf 444kb]

Manary M. Local production and provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food for the treatment of severe childhood malnutrition -
Full text [pdf 142kb]

Gatchell V, Forsythe V, Thomas PR. The sustainability of Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC) in non-acute emergency contexts -
Full text [pdf 96kb]

|

Thanks to an appropriate management scheme, from being severely malnourished (weight 4.75 kg), this 2-year old girl not only
gained 32% more weight in 3 weeks (weight 6.28), but she also gained an appetite for living.
|
1. Inpatient treatment of severe malnutrition
Severe malnutrition is defined by a very low weight for height (below -3z scores of the median WHO growth standards), by visible
severe wasting, or by the presence of nutritional
oedema. Decreasing child mortality and improving maternal health depend
heavily on reducing malnutrition, which is responsible, directly or indirectly, for 54% of the 10.8 million deaths per year in children under five. |
Although the median under-five case-fatality rate for severe malnutrition typically ranges from 30% to 50%, it can be reduced
substantially when physiological and metabolic changes are taken into account. Rates have dropped below 5% in treatment centres
applying a WHO-recommended scheme for managing severely malnourished children in hospital settings. In order to train health
workers in applying this scheme WHO has created a course which, with the aid of institutional partners in Bangladesh, Chile,
Gambia, Malawi and the UK, has been conducted in 25 countries in the African, South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions.
:: Training courses |
Inpatient treatment of severe malnutrition
Training courses
Training Course on the Management of Severe Malnutrition in Hospitals Kabul, Afghanistan, 8 - 19 June 2002
Full text [pdf 128kb]

Training Course on the Management of Severe Malnutrition Banjul, The Gambia, 25 June - 5 July 2002
Full text [pdf 78kb]

Inter-Country Training Workshop on Management of Severe Malnutrition, ICDDR'B Hospital Dhaka, Bangladesh, 11 - 22 December 2002.
Full text [pdf 95kb]

Training Course on the Management of Severe Malnutrition Blantyre, Malawi, 24 April to 3 May 2003
Full text [pdf 36kb]

Facilitators' Training on the Management of Severe Childhood Malnutrition in Hospitals Lusaka, Zambia, 3 - 8 August 2003.
Full text [pdf 19kb]

National Training Course on the Management of Severe Malnutrition Livingstone, Zambia, 10-17 November 2003
Full text [pdf 54kb]

National Training Course for Improving management of Severe Malnutrition Maseru, Lesotho, 20 November - 6 December 2003
Full text [pdf 28kb]

Inter-country Training Workshop on Management of Severe Childhood Malnutrition National Pediatric Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 26 November - 6 December, 2003.
Full text [pdf 212kb]

Training Course on the Management Severe Malnutrition La Paz, Bolivia, 2-12 February 2004
Full text [pdf 215kb]

National Training Course on the Management of Severe Malnutrition Mbabane, Swaziland, 9-21 February 2004
Full text [pdf 18kb]

Facilitator Training in the Management of Severely Malnourish Children in Hospitals Lahore, Pakistan, 7-10 March 2005
Full text [pdf 63kb]

World Food Programme Presentations
 |
ending child hunger and undernutrition initiative - Copenhagen, 19 June 2006 overview of issues and moving forward World Health Organization
Presentation: flash 785 kb |
powerpoint 2.6 mb |
 |
Providing an 'essential package' for child survival: WFP and UNICEF in Ethiopia Government of Ethiopia - World Food Programme - UNICEF World Health Organization
Presentation: flash 100 kb |
powerpoint 666 kb |
 |
End Child Hunger and Undernutrition Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean United in the Battle to End Child Hunger - WFP Global Meeting Copenhagen - June 2006
World Food Programme - UNICEF World Health Organization Presentation: flash 187
kb | powerpoint 424 kb |
 |
Facts for Life saves lives!
Home
What is Facts for Life?
Using Facts for Life
Timing Births
Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health
Child Development and Early Learning
Breastfeeding
Nutrition and Growth
Immunization
Diarrhoea
Coughs, Colds and More Serious Illnesses
Hygiene
Malaria
HIV
Child Protection
Injury Prevention
Emergencies: Preparedness and Response
PDF and Word versions
Resources |
|
Each year, around 9 million children die from preventable and treatable illnesses before reaching their fifth birthday. Many die during their first year of life. Countless more children live in precarious situations and face diminished futures. The handbook, Facts for Life, provides vital messages and information for mothers, fathers, other family members and caregivers and communities to use in changing behaviours and practices that can save and protect the lives of children and help them grow and develop to their full potential.
This version of Facts for Life builds on the three previous editions, which have been helping families and communities around the world since 1989. Newborn Health has been added to the Safe Motherhood chapter, giving attention to child survival from the first stage of life. A new chapter, Child Protection, has been included, focusing attention on the actions needed to ensure children grow up in protective environments.
Facts for Life is a trusted resource that is written in easy-to-understand language. It has been translated into 215 languages, with over 15 million copies of the previous editions in circulation worldwide. Users are encouraged to be innovative in finding ways to extend the reach of the Facts for Life messages to help families and communities realize the rights of children and women everywhere!
|
 |
Dr. R. K. Anand's Guide to Child Care
This guide is for pregnant mothers and parents of infants, young children, and teenagers. A definitive guide to the parent
on pregnancy and childrearing from infancy to the teenage years. Authored by one of India's foremost paediatricians and an
internationally renowned authority on breastfeeding, the book combines a knowledge of traditional childrearing practices with the latest medical developments in child care.
Dr. Anand's Guide to Child Care answers questions such as:
Is there a right age to have a baby?
What can I do when my baby cries?
Can a working mother successfully breastfeed?
How helpful is a joint family in bringing up children?
How should we handle our fussy eater?
Is my child ready for toilet-training?
Are vaccines safe?
When is the right age for sex education?
How can I raise a happy child?
Are drugs overprescribed for childhood illnesses?
How should we handle our teenager?
What should I do in a medical emergency?
|
 |
The Management of Diarrhoea and Use of Oral Rehydration Therapy - Second Edition - A Joint WHO/UNICEF Statement
Audience:
prepared by WHO/UNICEF 1992
30 pages -
pdf 626 kb |
 |
Prevention and Control of Nutritional Anaemia: A South Asia Priority
Audience:
United Nations Children's Fund - Regional Office for South Asia - 2002
16 pages -
pdf 2 mb |
 |
Preventing and Controlling Iron Deficiency Anaemia Through Primary Health Care
Audience: A Guide for Health Administrators and Programme Managers
E. M. DeMaeyer
Formerly Medical Officer, Nutrition, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
with the collaboration of P. Dallman, J. M. Gurney, L. Hallberg, S. K. Sood & S. G. Srikantia 1989
61 pages -
pdf 1.7 mb |
Off-site links
Pathfinder International is pleased to announce the publication of Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV through Dried Blood Spot Testing: Pathfinder
International/Kenya's Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Project. Pathfinder/Kenya integrated dried blood spot testing for early infant
diagnosis of HIV into its prevention of mother-to-child transmission project in August 2006. This paper describes the process of dried blood
spot testing and provides results from the project's first year of implementation.
The document can be downloaded at http://www.pathfind.org/Pubs_AIDS
Hard copies are available by contacting: tech-comm@pathfind.org
Please pass this message on to interested colleagues. If you're interested in receiving emails about other Pathfinder International projects, you may sign up for email updates here:
http://www.pathfind.org/Register
Publications by Theme
HIV/AIDS
(PDFs are viewed with the free Acrobat Reader)
|
|
 |
HIV/AIDS Fact Sheets
These two-page fact sheets highlight Pathfinder's prevention, care, and support projects in 13 countries, as well as Pathfinder's expertise in key HIV/AIDS program areas,
such as home-based care and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
|
|
|
 |
Mapping of Community Home-Based Care Services in Five Regions of the Tanzania Mainland, 2006
The study documents the concerns of people
living with HIV/AIDS, community health workers, primary care providers, and other stakeholders to inform Pathfinder's support to national efforts to scale-up community
home-based care. The proposed project aims to replicate Pathfinder's successful community home-based care model in other areas and improve access to home-based care for more Tanzanians.
|
Free Downloads from Hesperian
Hesperian Home >
Publications and Resources >
Downloads
Hesperian has made a commitment to publish online versions of all of our books and to keep those online editions up-to-date, incorporating all corrections and revisions as they are made.
Presently we have materials from the following publications:
Where There Is No Doctor
Where Women Have No Doctor
Helping Children Who Are Deaf
We will be posting online versions of all of our publications in the coming months, so please visit our site [
Downloads ] again soon to see what new resources are available. The entire books are now available for download in pdf format

We are happy to have other organizations link to our online publications, but in order to prevent
out-of-date or altered editions of our publications from being accessed online, we do not allow Hesperian publications to be posted on other sites without our explicit permission.
Where There Is No Doctor
 |
Where There Is No Doctor A village health care handbook
by David Werner with Carol Thuman and Jane Maxwell Updated 2003 - 512 pages, illustrated - English ed. ISBN: 0-942364-15-5
Hesperian's classic manual, Where There Is No Doctor, is perhaps the most widely used health care manual for health workers,
clinicians, and others involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs around the world. With millions of
copies in print in more than 70 languages, the book is an irreplaceable health resource in communities worldwide.
As with all Hesperian books, the manual provides practical, easily understood information on how to diagnose, treat, and prevent
common diseases. Special attention is focused on nutrition, infection and disease prevention, as well as the use of diagnostic techniques as primary ways to prevent and treat health problems.
The entire book is now available for download in pdf format

To buy the complete book, visit our
online store |
- Front matter: Cover, How to Use This Book, Acknowledgements
- Table of Contents: Introduction, Note About This New Edition
- Brown Pages: Words To The Village Health Worker
- Chapter 1: Home Cures and Popular Beliefs
- Chapter 2: Sicknesses that are Often Confused
- Chapter 3: How to Examine a Sick Person
- Chapter 4: How to Take Care of a Sick Person
- Chapter 5: Healing Without Medicines
- Chapter 6: Right and Wrong Use of Modern Medicines
- Chapter 7: Antibiotics: What They Are and How To Use Them
- Chapter 8: How To Measure and Give Medicine
- Chapter 9: Instructions and Precautions for Injections
- Chapter 10: First Aid
- Chapter 11: Nutrition: What to Eat to Be Healthy
- Chapter 12: Prevention: How to Avoid Many Sicknesses
- Chapter 13: Some Very Common Sicknesses
- Chapter 14: Serious Illnesses That Need Special Medical Attention
- Chapter 15: Skin Problems
- Chapter 16: The Eyes
- Chapter 17: The Teeth, Gums, and Mouth
- Chapter 18: The Urinary System and the Genitals
- Chapter 19: Information for Mothers and Midwives
- Chapter 20: Family Planning- Having the Number of Children You Want
- Chapter 21: Health and Sicknesses of Children
- Chapter 22: Health and Sicknesses of Older People
- Chapter 23: The Medicine Kit
- The Green Pages: The Uses, Dosage, and Precautions for Medicines
- The Blue Pages: New Information
- Vocabulary: Explaining Difficult Words
- Information: Addresses for Teaching Materials, Dosage Blanks, Patient Report, Information on Vital Signs, Abbreviations, Weight, Volume
- Index (Yellow Pages)
Where Women Have No Doctor
 |
Where Women Have No Doctor A health guide for women
by A. August Burns, Ronnie Lovich, Jane Maxwell, and Katharine Shapiro paperback - 596 pages, illustrated - English ed. ISBN: 0-942364-25-2
Where Women Have No Doctor combines self-help medical information with the tools for organizing against the poverty and
discrimination that impacts women's health and access to medical care. The first community-based health book for women, Where
Women Have No Doctor serves as an essential resource for any woman or girl wanting to improve her health. Developed with the
help of community-based groups, village health workers, and women's health experts in more than 30 countries, the manual gives
treatment information for many health problems that affect only women or affect women differently from men. Topics covered
include: ways to stay healthy; understanding the reproductive parts of women's bodies; mental health; politics of women's
health; nutrition; pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding; HIV/AIDS and other STI's; rape and violence against women; health
concerns of girls, women with disabilities, refugee women, and older women; how to use medicines safely. Click here to see the complete table of contents.
The entire book is now available for download in pdf format

To buy the complete book, visit our online store |
WHO Resources
Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD)
Reproductive Health and Research (RHR
UNAIDS
General
- The international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes. Frequently asked questions
ISBN 92 4 159429 2
- Community-based management of severe malnutrition in children
- UNICEF and WHO joint statement on HIV and infant feeding
- Feeding the non-breastfed child 6-24 months of age
WHO/FCH/CAH/04.13
- Implementing the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding: Report of a technical meeting
ISBN 92 4 159120 X
- Community-based strategies for breastfeeding promotion and support in developing countries
ISBN 92 4 159121 8
- Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
- Breastfeeding and maternal medication:
Recommendations for drugs in the eleventh WHO model list of essential drugs
- Complementary feeding: Report of the Global Consultation, and Summary of Guiding Principles for complementary feeding of the breastfed child
WHO, CAH [PDF], 1.193 MB
- Guiding principles for complementary feeding of the breastfed child
WHO, PAHO | English
pdf,
6.162 mb | Spanish
pdf, 1.078 mb
- Guiding principles for feeding non-breastfed children 6-24 months of age
ISBN 92 4 159343 1 | English and French versions
- WHO, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in the current Asian emergency, and caution about unnecessary use of milk products
HTML, 12 KB,
pdf, 256 kb
- Should adolescents be specifically targeted for nutrition in developing countries? To address which problems, and how?
- Nutrient adequacy of exclusive breastfeeding for the term infant during the first six months of life
- The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Report of an expert consultation
WHO/FCH/CAH/01.24
- The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding. A systematic review
WHO/FCH/CAH/01.23
- Statement on the effect of breastfeeding on mortality of HIV-infected women
- Complementary feeding: Family foods for breastfed children
WHO/FCH/CAH/00.6
- Special Supplement of the Food and Nutrition Bulletin
2003, 24(1) -
pdf, 1.660 mb
- Technical consultation. HIV and infant feeding: Implementation of Guidelines
WHO/CHD/98.15
- Evidence for the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
WHO/CHD/98.9 English, French and Spanish versions
- Complementary feeding of young children in developing countries: A review of current scientific knowledge
WHO/NUT/98.1
- Breastfeeding and maternal tuberculosis
UPDATE, N 23 February 1998
- Breastfeeding and the use of water and teas
UPDATE, N 9 November 1997
- Not enough milk
UPDATE, N 21 March 1996
- Hepatitis B and breastfeeding
UPDATE, N 22 November 1996
- Breastfeeding counselling: A training course
UPDATE, N 14 August 1994
- Contaminated food: A major cause of diarrhoea and associated malnutrition among infants and young children
- Breastfeeding: The technical basis and recommendations for action
WHO/NUT/MCH/93.1
- Recommended length of exclusive breastfeeding, age of introduction of complementary food and the weaning dilemma
WHO/CDD/EPD/92.5
- Savage King, F. Helping Mothers to Breastfeed
1992
Planning
Guidelines and Training
Monitoring and Evaluation
Research
Other Resources
FAO - Download Assessment of the double burden of malnutrition in six case study countries pdf, zipped, 2.1 mb
Bridging The Nutritional Divide. Swaminathan, M.S. The Little Magazine. 17th International Congress on Nutrition, Vienna, August 2001.
Early Years. UNICEF. 6 Aug. 2005
Chronic Hunger and Obesity Epidemic. Gardner, Gary. Worldwatch Organization. 2 Aug. 2005
The Asian Diet Pyramid. Gifford, K. Oldways. Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust. 20 June 2005
India has an Enormous Under-Nutrition and Over-Nutrition Problems. Haddad, Dr. Lawrence. 29 June, 2005
Child Malnutrition: Myths and Solutions. Kumar, A.K. Shiva. The Little Magazine. UNICEF. 27 June 2005
Food Fight For Hunger. Prasenjit Maiti. Council for Development Studies. 4 Aug. 2005
World Hunger Awareness
Global Database on Child Growth & Malnutrition (FAO)
Food Security Statistics (FAO)
Information on Vegetarian & Vegan Diets (PCRM)
Malnutrition Matters
Malnutrition (WikiPedia)
Malnutrition (WHO)
Nutrition Publications (WHO)
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development: A Strategy for Large Scale Action (World Bank)
UN Millennium Development Goals
Women - The key to ending hunger (The Hunger Project)
World Hunger Map: [Asia] [Latin America & Caribbean] [Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe] [West Africa] [Southern Africa] [East & Central Africa]
12 January, 2012
|