4 programmatic areas of work

1. Growth Assessment and Surveillance

The work involves the development, testing and global introduction of the WHO Child Growth Standard. This particular project has involved several years of collaborative work with Member States and partners, and will culminate in the development of a prescriptive tool for monitoring child growth globally. This innovative tool will facilitate growth monitoring and this data will be used as one of the primary indicators for assessing the outcome of this most important MDG to the eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

The work has involved providing technical leadership in the design of growth reference protocols and studies and the development of relevant assessment tools and the supporting databases. Later stages involved comprehensive analysis of the data for the construction of growth curves, testing, and field implementation. Next steps involve plans for the development of adolescence and adult growth standards and related data collection providing a complete picture of global growth and malnutrition.

A major dimension of the work has been the development of the surveillance strategy and related tools and databases such as the WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Nutrition. The logical next step is to plan and develop a comprehensive surveillance strategy for the Department.

2. Country Focused Nutrition Policies and Programmes

NHD develops norms, standards and provide guidance and support to regions and countries in developing and implementing their Food and Nutrition Policies and Programmes to address the dual burden of nutritional diseases through the life course. Working with the Regional Advisers, projects and initiatives focus on the goals and objectives of the Country Cooperation Strategies (CCS). Other partners include the Ministers of Health (MoH) and WRs in the various countries

The unit includes the following areas of work:

Maternal, Infant and Young Child

Major short term goals in these areas will include:

• The development of a WHO initiative optimizing Fetal Development in close collaboration with other relevant WHO departments.
• The implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding that encompasses the promotion of breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding, in close collaboration with CAH/WHO and other UN Agencies.
• Providing technical expertise in management of severe malnutrition in close collaboration with CAH/WHO, other UN Agencies and Non-Government Organizations.

• School Age and Adolescence Nutrition

  Schools provide an excellent setting for promoting adequate nutrition and healthy eating and preventing school-age children and adolescent malnutrition in all its forms, i.e. underweight, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. As a variety of school-based nutrition interventions are already in place the next step involves developing a comprehensive nutrition agenda in line with the principles and strategies set forth in the WHO Global School Health Initiative. Major goals in this area includes:

• The development of an initiative to establish Nutrition Friendly Schools addressing a comprehensive mix of school-based nutrition interventions in close collaboration with CHP/NMH and other UN Agencies

Nutrition in Transition

Rapid changes in diets and lifestyles resulting from industrialization, urbanization, economic development and market globalization are having a significant impact on the nutritional status of populations. Because of these changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns, diet-related diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and various forms of cancer are increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death in both developing and newly developed countries. They are taking over from more traditional public health concerns like undernutrition and infectious disease, and placing additional burdens on already overtaxed national health budgets. Nutrition in Transition will play a significant role in planning and coordinating activities to assess and address this global phenomena. Goals in this area include developing population wide strategies such as food based dietary guidelines, promoting dietary diversity and developing dietary indicators. Other goals, include contributing to the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.

3. Reduction of Micronutrient Malnutrition

This is a cross-cutting initiative to provide support and collaborate with the other NHD Units on micronutrient issues and related strategies. Towards this objective it will continue to develop norms and methodologies for assessment and control of micronutrient malnutrition as well as provide support to the Regions and countries for the implementation of specific strategies to control micronutrient malnutrition. The work also involves applied research for the development of tools for assessing micronutrient status and strategies for control of micronutrient deficiency. In addition the work involves collaborating in the integration of the micronutrient malnutrition modules into the WHO Integrated Nutrition Database. Another important aspect of the work is the strengthening of internal and external partnership to sustain, control, and eliminate micronutrient malnutrition.

Nutrition Action in Emergencies and Post-Emergencies

Support initiatives in emergencies, crisis, post-emergencies, rehabilitation and development will be developed in close collaboration with HAC. This team focuses on providing support and guidance to countries, NGOs and other UN partners on nutrition related issues for early warning, preparedness, and response. It encompasses normative and standard settings work (nutritional standards, food/ration composition; assessment of malnutrition; nutritional surveillance and supplementary and therapeutic feeding); training and capacity building and direct participation in joint assessment missions for rapid response and post-emergency rehabilitation.

Promoting Adequate Nutrition for People Living with HIV/AIDS

This area aims at mobilizing and guiding policy makers, non-governmental organizations and the international community to incorporate nutrition considerations into comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care programmes. It encompasses the development, dissemination, and support for country implementation of recommendations and guidelines on:

• treating severe malnutrition and for nutrition care in HIV/AIDS patients taking into account the interactions between nutritional status and ARTs;
• nutrition counselling for feeding infants from mothers living with HIV/AIDS;
• multi-micronutrient supplementation for HIV/AIDS patients.
• Community level actions towards household food security for families affected by HIV/AIDS.