Institute of Human Nutrition

      

 


Starved for Attention: The Neglected Crisis of Childhood Malnutrition

Pre-registration is required for this free event via:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/117628831

 

Join Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Columbia University’s Institute for Human Nutrition (IHN) for a panel discussion about addressing the global crisis of malnutrition. The panelists will include Biraj Patnaik, Principle Advisor, Office of the Commissioners to India’s Supreme Court; Dr. Milton Tectonidis, MSF nutrition advisor; and Dan Maxwell, Tufts University. Malnutrition is a chronic emergency that has been all but invisible: it accounts for 11 percent of the global disease burden and contributes to 3.5 to 5 million deaths in children under five each year. Although the foundations of good early nutrition are well known and simple, affordable, and effective interventions exist -- the needs of millions of children are still ignored.

What is the relationship between food insecurity and childhood malnutrition? Why are even the best programs addressing food insecurity insufficient in responding to childhood malnutrition? In malnutrition hotspots, is food aid an emergency response or a long-term investment in the health and futures of children? At a time of rising food prices, what will be the impact on the most vulnerable children? And finally, what role can the international community play in realizing the right to good nutrition for women and children? How can we mobilize political support to address this devastating crisis?

This event is free, wheelchair accessible, and open to the public. For more information please visit doctorswithoutborders.org

The objectives of the meeting are:

  • Highlight the inadequacy of current nutrition and food aid programming to address undernutrition in high burden regions. Examine the nutritional deficits of food aid and why current nutrition programs and recommended strategies will have limited impact on undernutrition in food insecure populations.
 
  • Stimulate momentum for wider implementation of effective strategies to address undernutrition in food insecure regions through supplemental foods and cash transfers. Examine ways to optimize the use of supplements and discuss the implications of supplements for breastfeeding and complementary diets.
 
  • Examine challenges in the scale-up of ready to use food (RUF) supplements (local production, quality assurance, cost, patents).

 

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
6:00 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Start time.

Location:

The Riverside Church - Assembly Hall

91 Claremont Avenue

New York, NY 10027

 

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Time: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm

Location:

P&S Alumni Auditorium at Columbia University Medical Center
650 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032

Day 1: Food Aid and Nutrition Policies in High Burden Regions

  • Nutritional needs of developing children and challenges in high burden regions (expert presentations on data examining complementary diets in food insecure regions and the limited impact of current food aid and nutrition interventions).
  • Nutrition policy for improved outcomes (policy discussion with representatives of national and multilateral organizations working to address undernutrition in food insecure populations).
 
  • New strategies to improve complementary diets in food insecure regions (case studies on the effectiveuse of supplements and cash transfers).

 

September 12, 2008
Time: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Location:

Alfred Lerner Hall at Columbia University
2920 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Day 2: Moving Forward: Implementing Effective Strategies

  • Working group 1: Reformulating food assistance for improved nutrition (analyzing and addressing barriers).
 
  • Working group 2: RUF supplements - Scaling-up safely and effectively, including discussion of new formulations, safety guidelines and how RUFs can play a role in optimizing infant feeding.
 
  • Working group 3: RUF supplements - Challenges for scale-up (supporting local production, qualityassurance, cost, patents).

Pre-registration is required for this free event via:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/117628831

 

For more information, contact
http://www.eventbrite.com/contact-organizer?eid=117628831

 

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