Measuring bio-available nutrients: results from “Catalyzing a Nutrient Economy” Event
What are the innovative interventions that can be implemented to improve nutrition in mothers, babies, school children, and our workforce? Ashoka, GAIN, and BoPInc posed this question at the event “Catalyzing a Nutrient Economy” in Amsterdam, Netherlands April 19th 2013. A diverse group of stakeholders (listed below) including representatives from government, NGOs, and innovators on the ground, including Ashoka Fellows, discussed how the Nutrients for All framework unlocks opportunities for vitality in the landscapes, food, and...
read moreChanging the choice to fruit in India
According to a study by Ashoka’s India office, many Indian women do not eat fruit regularly—only 58% of Indian women eat fruit on a weekly basis. Despite the rich micronutrient content that could go a long way to reduce nutritional deficiencies in Indian diets, this figure suggests that Indian women do not see fruit as an attractive option. What barriers exist in the system that keep fruit consumption so low among this population? Ashoka’s Baseline Study has identified four main reasons that span from market dependency to a lack of...
read moreGarden-based education found to improve dietary choices among kids
New research out of University of California – Davis has studied the effects of school gardens and garden-based nutrition education on fruit and vegetable consumption of school-aged children in California. The study concludes that after participating in garden-based education, children are more likely to diversify their diets with a variety of fruits and vegetables. The study explains, “[A]fter a 17-week standards-based, garden-enhanced nutrition education program, fourth-grade students preferred a greater variety of vegetables than did...
read moreCaring for Non-communicable Diseases in the Underdeveloped World
A lack of continuity care for non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) is a growing global health problem as the global burden of diseases shifts towards NCDS, according to a collection of Policy Briefs from the NCD Working Group at Johns Hopkins University. The briefs focus on access and adherence to medication for NCDs, which is especially low in areas with poor health infrastructure. Additionally, the quality of many medications for NCDs is lower in low-and middle-income countries, which often lack regulatory systems to control the production and...
read more1000 Days Field Trial
One example of a field trial for maternal and child populations is the 1000 Days intervention, an integrated package of services delivered by frontline health workers to pregnant women and new mothers. This integrated package of services includes: Safe drinking water Nutrition Vaccinations and medicines Health awareness and education And is delivered through a system that includes: Evidence-based health protocols Front-line health workers Information and communication technology Such service delivery systems solutions that focus not just...
read moreChildren face stunting despite consuming enough calories
This article posted on IRIN highlights the problem of stunting in Madagascar’s children: “…the country’s high rates of stunting also have much to do with the Malagasy obsession with rice. Although many children consume enough calories, they have trouble growing because their diet consists almost exclusively of rice, to which cassava or a salty soup may be added and, if the family has enough money, some fatty meat. “We found that the highest occurrence of stunting is not among the very poor, as they eat the vegetables...
read moreThe Case of the First 1000 Days
We are testing the 1000 Days intervention in various settings…
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