Mainstreaming Nutrition Initiative (MNI)

Please visit the Mainstreaming Nutrition Initiative’s new website at mainstreamingnutrition.org!

The persisting nutritional problem: the need for accelerated action

Malnutrition remains the world’s most serious health problem and the single biggest contributor to child mortality.  In 1995, WHO identified malnutrition as the underlying cause of 56 percent of child deaths worldwide. Mild or moderate, rather than severe malnutrition, contributed to the majority of these deaths.  Half of all childhood mortality could be averted by eliminating malnutrition.

Much of the projected prevalence decline from Asia is driven primarily by improvements in China. By contrast, in Africa, the prevalence is actually projected to increase. In Eastern Africa, a region devastated by HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of underweight is forecasted to be 25 percent higher in 2015 than in 1990. And while undernutrition rates in Asia are on the decline, Asia still has the largest number of malnourished children in the world with 92 million stunted and 89 million underweight children. In South Asia alone, approximately half of all children are undernourished accounting for 70 percent of the world’s malnourished children.

Where does nutrition belong? A cross-cutting approach

In the past, the government or the public sector bore the primary responsibility for the health and nutritional well being of people. Nutrition issues are often dealt with in isolation by different sectors and organizations. This lack of communication and collaboration across sectors to address problems in a unified manner has contributed to poor nutritional outcomes. Many countries and their development partners need to work towards improving nutrition not only through health but through agriculture, rural development, water supply and sanitation, social protection, education, and community driven development. In order for this to occur, countries need to make nutrition a country agenda priority and establish clearly defined nutrition policies. Nutrition education, food distribution and security, nutritional rehabilitation, micronutrient programs, and immunization must be integrated together in a way that is sustainable.

The goal of the Mainstreaming Nutrition Initiative (MNI)

ICDDR,B has joined an existing global partnership in order to catalyze the integration of priority nutrition actions into health sector policies and programs worldwide. ICDDR,B in conjunction with The Child Survival Partnership (CSP), the Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Neonatal Health (PSMNH) and the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) will work towards catalyzing a convergence of the nutrition agenda with the maternal and child health agendas in countries trying to achieve MDG I (nutrition-non income poverty) and MDGs 4 and 5 (child mortality and maternal health) targets. This initiative, led by ICDDR,B, will build on a network of existing programs in different countries to form a learning network in order to build local capacity and leadership, share knowledge about successful programs, and to develop eminent long-term programs on nutrition.

For more information on the project or on how you can help, please visit our new website at mainstreamingnutrition.org. See also "Activities" on the side bar of this page.