Following the successful IAEA/IMTF meeting in Ghana in December 2012, IAEA/IMTF held a joint technical meeting on severe and moderate acute malnutrition in South-East Asia. The meeting was held on May 27-29th in Bangkok and the objectives were to: Discuss current recommendations for treatment of SAM and recent initiatives, and share successful experiences Share experiences, lessons learned from case studies […]
There has been significant progress with the Malnutrition Project in a number of areas. The summary of the key facts are: Over 2,500 people enrolled on Course 3 Malnutrition course in the last 7 months (October 2012 to April 2013), with over 5,000 expected by September 2013; Two other nutrition courses are being used actively. […]
The Malnutrition eLearning Course, developed by the University of Southampton and the International Malnutrition Task Force (IMTF), is a freely available course to train health workers across the world in the management of Severe and Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in infants and children. The course is available at www.som.soton.ac.uk/learn/test/nutrition/ Since October 2012, 2,064 people have enrolled […]
A study among Pakistani children has found that the use of micronutrient powders reduces iron-deficiency. In this cluster-randomised trial, Soofi and colleagues concluded that the excess burden of diarrhoea and respiratory morbidities associated with micronutrient powder use and the very small effect on growth recorded suggest that a careful assessment of risks and benefits must […]
A recent systematic review has concluded that the evidence underlying current antibiotic recommendations for uncomplicated SAM is weak. Susceptibility studies favour amoxicillin over cotrimoxazole. However, given that these antibiotics have side-effects, costs, and risks as well as benefits, their routine use needs urgent testing. With reliable monitoring, we believe that there is sufficient equipoise for […]
Indi Trehan, M.D., M.P.H., D.T.M.&H., Hayley S. Goldbach, Sc.B., Lacey N. LaGrone, M.D., Guthrie J. Meuli, B.S., Richard J. Wang, M.D., Kenneth M. Maleta, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., and Mark J. Manary, M.D. N Engl J Med 2013; 368:425-435January 31, 2013DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1202851 Abstract Background Severe acute malnutrition contributes to 1 million deaths among children annually. Adding […]
ABSTRACT Kwashiorkor, an enigmatic form of severe acute malnutrition, is the consequence of inadequate nutrient intake plus additional environmental insults. To investigate the role of the gut microbiome, we studied 317 Malawian twin pairs during the first 3 years of life. During this time, half of the twin pairs remained well nourished, whereas 43% became […]
By David A. Relman A link between the gut microbiota and conditions of undernutrition point to possible therapeutic interventions. EXCEPTS Undernutrition—a condition resulting from inadequate intake or assimilation of nutrients—underlies more than one-third of all deaths worldwide in children younger than 5 years of age (1). Enteric infectious disease and undernutrition exacerbate and perpetuate each […]
NOTES OF IMTF MEETING IN ACCRA, GHANA, DECEMBER 10-11, 2012 The group met to assess and discuss progress of IMTF activities for 2011-2012 and to consider potential future activities and developments in severe malnutrition prevention and treatment in collaboration with IAEA and other agencies (UNICEF, WHO). Special consideration was given to the present situation across […]
The International Malnutrition Task Force (IMTF) and University of Southampton Faculty of Medicinie are opening a call for a Malnutrition Grant to contribute towards building core competencies of future health professonals for the management of severe malnutrition in infants and children. Full details on the grant and awards and how to apply can be found […]