Stories of change in nutrition
This special issue of Global Food Security analyzes drivers of change in six high-burden countries (Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Nepal, Senegal, and Zambia) which had some success in accelerating improvements in nutrition. Much of the improvement in nutrition in Bangladesh (PDF) is explained by what can be seen as nutrition-sensitive drivers within a wider enabling environment of pro-poor economic growth. Key amongst these factors have been: improving incomes; smaller family sizes and greater gaps between births; parental and particularly women’s education; and wider health access. In Nepal (PDF) similar factors were found to improve maternal and child nutrition, including increased coverage and use of toilets. The article about Ethiopia (PDF) provides an analysis of mid-level actors and their operating environments in relation to implementing nutrition-sensitive programming. Mid-level, implementing actors are subject to complex constraints originating from both systemic factors and day-to-day resource constraints. Communities experienced nutrition-related improvements over time, but were constrained in their ability to engage with government programming by their physical environment. A synthesis paper (PDF) describes the processes of change around nutrition in selected communities in these six countries. Overall, the need for basic improvements in livelihood opportunities and infrastructure are underscored. Nutrition-specific and -sensitive changes are rolling out at a mixed and uneven pace, but are having some significant impacts where solidly implemented.
The case studies of Zambia and Senegal which focus more on nutrition policies can be found here.