[pronut-hiv] SCN: Presentations at the Symposium on "Accelerating the reduction of maternal and child undernutrition"

["ProNut-HIV" <pronut-hiv@healthnet.org>]

Revised agenda for the 35th SCN Session, 2-6 March
The revised agenda for the week is available from the SCN Annual
Session webpage 
http://www.unsystem.org/SCN/Publications/AnnualMeeting/annualmeetings.htm

The main revisions are: The 35th Session will end on Thursday 6 March
at 6 pm The closing session is moved from Friday morning to Thursday
afternoon All SCN Working Group meetings will be finished by Wednesday
evening Revised list of speakers at the Symposium (see below), the
meetings planned for Friday 7 March are moved to Thursday 6 
 

Opening session key note speakers: 
- Ms Ann Veneman (SCN Chair and Executive Director of UNICEF) 
- Dr. NguyenSinh Hung (Standing Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam) 
- Mr Patrus Ananias (Minister of Social Development and Fight against
Hunger of Brazil) 

Presentations at the Symposium on "Accelerating the reduction of
maternal and child undernutrition" are :

- Mercedes de Onis (WHO), in her presentation entitled "The global
burden of maternal and child undernutrition and rates of reduction to
2015, based on the new WHO growth Standard" will describe how
undernutrition begins with the mother. Maternal low BMI and
micronutrient deficiencies may lead to health problems for the mother
and intrauterine growth restriction. Stunting, severe wasting, and
intrauterine growth restriction are among the leading global nutritional
problems. 80% of the world's undernourished children live in just 20
countries. Intensified nutrition action in these countries is needed.
There is a golden interval for intervention: from pregnancy to 2 years
of age. After age 2 years, undernutrition will have caused irreversible
damage in the physical and mental development towards adulthood. The
prevention of maternal and child undernutrition is a long-term
investment that will benefit the present generation and their children.


- Robert Black (Johns Hopkins University, lead author from the Lancet
Nutrition Series), in his presentation entitled "Nutrition interventions
that can accelerate the reduction of maternal and child undernutrition",
will talk about how the series of five papers on maternal and child
undernutrition appearing in the medical journal The Lancet in Jan-Feb
2008 was intended as a comprehensive review of the determinants and
consequences of undernutrition, possible and currently implemented
nutrition-related interventions and how more could be done by actions at
national and global levels. The review found that more than a third of
child deaths, 20% of maternal deaths and more than 10% of total global
disease burden could be attributed to maternal and child undernutrition.
In addition, early childhood undernutrition results in irreversible
losses in human capital and increased risks for chronic diseases in
adulthood. Pregnancy and the first 2 years of life are the critical
window for delivery of interventions and the review estimated that
currently proven interventions if implemented at scale would reduce
child mortality by 25% and reduce stunting and its consequences.
Nutrition should be a priority at all levels because is it a central
component of human, social and economic development. More concerted
action to improve nutrition will require improved coordination between
national and international organizations as well as reform of the
international nutrition system. 

- Marie Ruel (IFPRI) will discuss "Nutrition interventions within the
broader social development context: Examples of successful integration
of nutrition in national poverty-reduction strategies". The presentation
will explore the role of social protection programs and policies, as
well as touch upon the role of agricultural policies to accelerate
progress in reducing child malnutrition. It will go beyond the usual
targeted nutrition interventions (e.g. breastfeeding promotion, growth
promotion, micronutrient supplementation, etc.) and discuss the role of
poverty-alleviation strategies and the challenges of incorporating
nutrition within the broader development agenda.

- David Pelletier (Cornell University) and Tahmeed Ahmed (ICDDRB)
"Mainstreaming Nutrition: Overcoming country level challenges in
commitment, consensus and capacity for accelerating maternal and child
undernutrition reduction" 

- Dr Jorgen Schlundt (WHO) will present a "Landscape Analysis on
Countries' Readiness to Accelerate the Action to Reduce Maternal and
Child Undernutrition" in 36 high-burden countries initiated by WHO in
close involvement of various partner agencies, including UNICEF, WFP,
FAO, IFAD, Mainstreaming Nutrition Initiative/World Bank, as well as
NGOs and bilateral agencies, facilitated through the SCN Secretariat and
the SCN Steering Committee. The Landscape Analysis aims to identify
gaps, constraints and opportunities for integrating new and existing
effective nutrition actions in order to assess countries readiness to
accelerate action in nutrition at scale, and develop and disseminate a
strategic plan to guide consolidated and harmonized action at the
country level as well as for international assistance and investments by
all stakeholders for accelerating actions, in particular to reduce
maternal and child undernutrition, in the high-burden countries. Through
contributing to and maintaining the momentum being created by the
Lancet's Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition launched in January
2008, the ultimate aim of the Landscape Analysis is to help lay the
foundation to implement such action at scale in the high-burden
countries and accelerate support to achieve the MDG target. To this end,
the findings of the Landscape Analysis will contribute greatly to the
implementation of other on-going international efforts and initiatives,
in particular REACH Ending Child Hunger and Undernutrition as it will
enable the identification of priority countries to accelerate support to
achieve the MDG target. 

- Denise Coitinho (Inter-Agency Action Team) will report on the
"REACH-Ending Child Hunger and Undernutrition" initiative.
 
- Dr Nguyen Cong Khan (Director of the Vietnamese National Nutrition
Institute) will present "A proposed National Plan for accelerating the
reduction of maternal and child undernutrition in Vietnam." During the
last decade, Vietnam has achieved remarkable improvements in nutrition,
especially among mothers and children. However, malnutrition is still a
burden and challenge for health and development. In 2007, underweight
and stunting rates among under-5s were 21.2% (1.6 million children) and
33.9% (2.6 million children) respectively. Micronutrient deficiencies,
especially sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency, iron and iodine
deficiencies, are still problems of public health significance. The
Vietnamese government is highly committed towards prioritized investment
for nutrition in order to achieve the MDGs and to accelerate the
reduction of maternal and child undernutrition. Special attention will
be given to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and the first two years of life.
The current national malnutrition control program should be maintained
and expanded, focusing more on care at household level. Resources should
be prioritized for disadvantaged areas in terms of social economic
development, geographical features, and with poor access to health and
social services. Nutrition is fundamental for development of the
Vietnamese society. The multi-sectoral cooperation, public-private
partnerships and further assistance and support from international
organizations, NGOs, UN agencies, should be created for malnutrition
control activities in Vietnam along with improved monitoring and
evaluation activities. 

- The Horwitz Lecture: In a special tribute to the SCN 30th year
anniversary, Alan Berg will discuss "Reflections from the front
line-Advances and Disappointments, Constraints and Opportunities: A
survey of the international nutrition community". What have been the
main advances in international nutrition, the main disappointments, the
reasons for success where there has been success and reasons for lack of
accomplishment in other cases? What does the present look like in terms
of opportunities, limiting factors, and level of momentum? How about
prospects for the future, and what are the most important steps that
need to be taken? This special Abraham Horwitz Memorial Lecture will
report on a recent survey of the perceptions about these matters of 529
members of the international nutrition community. Unlike the recent
Lancet series that reflects the needs as perceived by nutrition
researchers, the bulk of the respondents whose views are expressed in
this survey are nutrition practitioners, mostly involved in operational
work. From their perspective, they also have graded the effectiveness of
the major institutions and categories of organizations involved in
international nutrition.