Meeting of the WHO Guideline Development Group – The Use of Ferritin Concentrations to Assess Iron Status in Populations
June 15-17, 2016
Anemia
Staple Crops Biofortified With Vitamins and Minerals: Considerations for a Public Health Strategy
April 5-7, 2016
SPRING's First Micronutrient Powder Distribution in Namutumba
SPRING/Uganda is implementing a micronutrient powder (MNP) program, focused on children aged 6 to 23 months. “Point-of-use,” or “home-based” fortification is used to reduce the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies, including iron deficiencies, and anemia in children. SPRING is using two methods for distributing the MNPs and related materials: facility-based and community-based. With the facility method, MNP materials are stored at the facilities.
Launch of a Micronutrient Powder Program in Namutumba District, Uganda
On March 15th, 2015 in Nsinze Sub-Country, Namutumba District, Uganda’s Ministry of Health—in conjunction with Namutumba District leadership, SPRING, World Food Programme, and UNICEF—launched a pilot program to improve children’s nutrition within the district. The program involves distribution of micronutrient powders (MNPs) through village health team (VHT) members or health facilities to enable caregivers to fortify foods and the point of use (often called home-based food fortification).
SPRING Spearheads a Pilot to Compare Distribution Approaches to Enable Use of Micronutrient Powders
Uganda, like many other developing countries, suffers from a significant burden of iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies. Additionally, iron deficiency anaemia affects almost 50 percent of children between 6 – 23 months of age and 30 percent of women of reproductive age. A staggering 87 percent of children in Uganda ages 6-23 months do not receive the recommended minimum of four food groups per day. In Namutumba District, 52.1 percent do not receive the three food groups (energy giving, body building, and protective foods) and only 5.8 percent consume iron rich food (UDHS, 2011).
Stimulating Social and Behavior Change in Kyrgyz Communities
In tandem with the Kyrgyz Association of Village Health Committees, SPRING works through an existing network of “Community Activists,” the primary infrastructure in many communities for awareness raising and the dissemination of social messages. SPRING orients the Activists on a different nutrition-related theme (e.g.
Increasing Access to Quality Nutrition Services Through Trainings
SPRING conducts trainings primarily for health care providers at the national level and in its implementation areas to deliver high-quality nutrition services and counselling.
Blogging to Build the Conversation on Anemia
Sight and Life, a humanitarian nutrition think tank with the mission of eradicating malnutrition in women of reproductive age and in their children, and improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations, recently published a blog co-written by SPRING, the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (
The Global Nutrition Targets Tracking Tool: A Hands-On Briefing for Setting Your Anaemia Target
This webinar was be a step-by-step guide on how to use the tracking tool in exploring a national-level target to reduce anaemia among women of reproductive age applying the definition of the Global Nutrition Target for Anaemia.