Background

A review of emergency Supplementary Feeding Programmes (SFPs) was undertaken in 2005/2006, which concluded that such programmes which are targeted to already Moderately Acutely Malnourished (MAM) children may be ineffective in treating and preventing this MAM in certain contexts . One recommendation was to study alternatives to targeted SFPs, such as an ‘extended’ General Food Distribution rations, ‘blanket’ SFPs (SFPs not targeted to MAM children, instead given to all children of a certain age group) with different fortified nutrition supplements, and cash transfers.

• Managing Konzo in DRC
• Cash for work in urban Guinea
• Income generation in Southern Sudan
• National NGOs treat SAM in Niger
• IYCF across sectors in Haiti
• Pastoral malnutrition trends in Somalia

From the Editor

A key thematic focus of this issue of Field Exchange is Humanitarian Reform. There have been many reviews and evaluations concerning the level of progress made since the reform process was officially launched some five years ago. The detailed and systematic 'state of the system' review by ALNAP (see research section) found that the 'formal' international humanitarian system (United Nations (UN), international non-governmental organisations and Red Cross) has grown significantly in financial and human resource terms in recent years. Progress was found

From the Editor

While there are at least four distinct thematic areas addressed by articles in Field Exchange 37, there is arguably one cross-cutting issue - namely the tendency towards fragmentation and lack of coordination within the emergency nutrition sector. We will return to this later. This issue of Field Exchange carries a number of research summaries related to the role of data and indicators in emergencies. There are pieces on the evidence for impact of the global food crisis on the poor, a new method of statistical forecasting for famine, based on data

From the editor

In this issue of Field Exchange, there are two themes which previous editorials have not addressed - sustainability of interventions and how markets can create, as well as be used to respond, to emergencies. We also revisit one 'old chestnut' - namely the rich vein of innovation that runs through our sector.

Use of the word 'sustainability' in an emergency context always needs qualification and nuancing. Are we talking about sustainability of capacity, resources, demand for services, a product or institutional sustainability? In the most acute crisis, where high levels

The Workshop Report for the April 2008 International Workshop on the Integration of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) provides an overview of the overarching issues, obstacles and successes encountered in the integration of CMAM into national health systems. These range from the importance of Ministry of Health leadership, the need to strengthen capacities at most levels of a health system, and provide simple protocols to facilitate implementation, to the critical need for open and frequent information sharing. The report highlights presentations

From the Editor

One of the longest raging debates in nutrition continues in the letters section of this issue of Field Exchange. Put simply, does the nutrition community invest too much in magic bullets and not enough in home grown and more sustainable solutions? In the 1970s/80s, micronutrients supplementation became the 'magic bullet' to address malnutrition. Massive investments in Vitamin A, iron and iodine programmes were made while, according to critics, problems of chronic malnutrition and stunting were largely ignored. More recently, the roll out of community therapeutic

From the Editor

There are two major themes running through this issue of Field Exchange. The first is a focus on Southern Africa and the programmatic challenges presented by HIV/AIDS and the second concerns infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IFE). An extended visit to South Africa over the summer by ENN co-director, Marie McGrath, offered the opportunity to visit several collaborative WFP programmes in Swaziland and Namibia and also to identify significant HIV-related research in the region. Setting the scene in Southern Africa, George Aelion of WFP describes