Intervention Effectiveness

Cereal fortification programs in developing countries. Malnutrition is a major problem among children especially in the developing world. In most developing countries children show growth faltering between 6 and 24 months of age due to inadequate complementary feeding. Complementary foods are transitional foods given in addition to breast milk, following exclusive breastfeeding during the first […]

Wheat flour fortification is unlikely to benefit the neediest in Guatemala. The potential impact of wheat flour fortification with iron and folic acid was assessed using data about food purchases from the nationally representative 2000 Guatemalan Living Standards Measurement Survey. Of 7265 households, 35% were indigenous and 57% rural; 11% were extremely poor, 35% were […]

Day-care management of children with severe malnutrition in an urban health clinic in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Management of severely malnourished children with associated complications relies on hospital-based treatment. Implementation of a standardized protocol at the Dhaka Hospital, ICDDR,B reduced case fatality approximately 50%. We developed and prospectively evaluated a day-care clinic approach that provided antibiotics, micronutrients […]

Weekly iron-folic acid supplements to prevent anemia among Cambodian women in three settings: process and outcomes of social marketing and community mobilization. Social marketing and community mobilization approaches were applied in a pilot program to introduce weekly iron-folic acid supplementation to prevent anemia in Cambodian women of reproductive age. The program was implemented in three […]

Use of multiple opportunities for improving feeding practices in under-twos within child health programmes. OBJECTIVES: In a community randomized trial, we aimed to promote exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding practices in under-twos to ascertain the feasibility of using available channels for nutrition counselling, their relative performance and the relationship between intensity of counselling and behaviour […]

Feasibility of “directly observed home-based twice-daily iron therapy” (DOHBIT) for management of anemia in rural patients: a pilot study. BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a significant public health challenge in resource-poor settings, despite strong evidence for efficacy of iron supplementation. We hypothesized, modeled on the successful initiatives in disorders like tuberculosis or HIV, that directly […]

Senegalese grandmothers promote improved maternal and child nutrition practices: the guardians of tradition are not averse to change. The vast majority of community nutrition/health programs in developing countries focus on women of reproductive age (WRA) and a few explicitly involve senior women, or grandmothers. In Senegal, as in many other places, older, experienced women play […]

The Costa Rican experience: reduction of neural tube defects following food fortification programs. Fortification of wheat flour in 1997 and corn flour in 1999 with folic acid among other micronutrients was implemented in Costa Rica by means of two decrees, resulting in an effective public health impact. A prevalence of 25% of folic acid serum […]

Combating iodine deficiency: lessons from China, Indonesia, and Madagascar. This study investigated the factors contributing to a successful and sustainable elimination of iodine-deficiency disorders, drawing from salt fortification experiences in China, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Government officials, salt farmers, salt producers, and wholesalers were interviewed to collect data during field visits. Analyses used in the study […]

Eradication of iron deficiency anemia through food fortification: the role of the private sector. Delivering iron fortified foods that provide meaningful levels of bioavailable iron without altering the accepted appearance and taste of the product presents multiple challenges. Issues relating to food technology, product formulation, acceptance and efficacy evaluation, marketing and quality control must all […]