Workshop Report on Scaling Up the Use of Micronutrient Powders to Improve the Quality of Complementary Foods for Young Children in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract:

Extensive research shows that Micronutrient Powders (MNP) work (efficacy), are acceptable and safe. MNPs are particularly attractive for their ease of use. MNPs fortify and improve the quality of complementary foods prepared at home and, as the micronutrients are in a powder, tasteless form, their use does not alter the taste or look of the complementary food. Based on current evidence MNPs can be safely and effectively administered under programmatic conditions, and can be feasibly and cost-effectively implemented at scale. Successful public health scale up of MNPs requires that it is integrated within Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) and Early Child Development (ECD) programmes. Under these conditions, MNPs have the potential not only to improve the micronutrient content of complementary food and decrease the burden of anaemia, but also to improve complementary feeding and care practices of young children. This, in turn, will lead to better growth and development outcomes for young children. Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are poised to scale up the use of MNPs as part of integrated IYCN and ECD strategies. Furthermore, a unique aspect of the Latin American experience is the use of MNPs as part of an integrated package of services included under social protection schemes such as Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes to reduce social inequities. In June 2010, UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) co-hosted a workshop designed to support countries with their plans to introduce and scale up MNPs. Workshop participants representing 15 countries in …

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