malnutrition

Child malnutrition remains one of Africa's biggest health challenges, and analysts argue that food aid alone cannot solve it. Writing in Daily Nation and The Conversation, experts say lasting progress requires addressing underlying causes such as poverty, disease, poor sanitation and weak health systems, alongside emergency food assistance.

A study led by the conservation group Oceana concludes that more equitable fishing access agreements could help tackle malnutrition in West Africa. The findings suggest that how foreign fishing rights are negotiated shapes how much fish remains available to local communities, whose diets depend heavily on seafood. The report is drawing attention among food security and fisheries policy observers.

Health advocates are highlighting 'hidden hunger', a form of malnutrition in which people consume enough calories but still lack essential vitamins and minerals their bodies need. Campaigners say the answer lies in sharing skills for growing diverse, nutritious foods and making food production more sustainable. The issue draws attention to how calorie sufficiency can mask serious micronutrient deficiencies affecting millions worldwide.

Researchers published a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial examining whether providing small-quantity lipid-based nutritional supplements to children aged 6 to 23 months improves measles vaccination coverage. The study, published in Nature, addresses whether combining nutrition support with routine immunization programs can close vaccination gaps in young children. The findings are of interest to public health teams working on childhood immunization and malnutrition in low-resource settings.

A new social behavior change strategy for school nutrition has been outlined for the Kyrgyz Republic covering 2026 to 2030. The plan focuses on encouraging healthier eating habits among schoolchildren as part of wider efforts to improve child health and school meal programs. Attention to school nutrition has been growing in Central Asia as governments and aid organizations push to tackle child malnutrition and poor diets.

A new analysis argues that India's Anganwadi centres, the backbone of the country's child nutrition and health system, need more than improved delivery of services. It calls for rethinking their role, design and functioning to achieve better nutrition outcomes for children and mothers, sparking debate on how the world's largest early childcare programme should be reformed.

A report from Nigeria highlights how improving child nutrition is being used to boost vaccination uptake, with better-nourished children responding more effectively to immunisation efforts. Health workers are pairing nutritional support with vaccine campaigns to reach more families. The link between malnutrition and weak vaccine response is drawing renewed attention to integrated health programmes in the country.

A media caravan has been held to highlight government nutrition programs and their impact on communities. The initiative aims to inform the public about efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition, with journalists visiting projects and meeting beneficiaries. Coverage of the caravan is drawing attention to how nutrition campaigns are being implemented and whether they are reaching those most in need.

A Cambridge University Press publication examines how nutritional support affects clinical disease progression and malnutrition in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The work addresses a longstanding question in managing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, where malnutrition is a common complication. Clinicians and researchers are weighing the findings for their implications on dietary therapy as part of standard patient care.

FundsforNGOs has published a sample grant proposal focused on community-based nutrition and malnutrition prevention activities. The document is intended to help non-governmental organizations and community groups structure funding applications for local nutrition projects. It offers a template covering objectives, activities and expected outcomes for programs aiming to reduce malnutrition at the community level.