Micronutrient powders (MNP) are an efficacious intervention to reduce iron deficiency anemia and to fill nutrient gaps in young children, but there is limited published implementation research, which is needed as countries are increasingly implementing or scaling up programs. In 2015, SPRING held the Micronutrient Powders Consultation, bringing together 49 MNP program implementers and experts to identify and summarize the most recent MNP program experiences and lessons learned for operationalizing MNP for young children. The Consultation was comprised of three working groups that used deliberations, a review of published and grey literature, questionnaires, and key informant interviews to develop articles addressing key programmatic components of MNP programming to inform improved operationalization of MNP.
The three articles explore experiences during the planning phase; delivery strategies, social behavior change communication, and training; and monitoring, process evaluation, and supportive supervision systems for program improvement. The articles also identify implementation research priorities for MNP. Published as a special issue supplement in the Maternal and Child Nutrition journal, the series also includes an executive summary that provides background on the consultation methodology and a summary of each included article.
The Micronutrient Powder Consultation supplement is published in Maternal & Child Nutrition’s September 2017 issue and can be found here.
