Download a PDF of this issue - Field Exchange - Emergency ...
Download a PDF of this issue - Field Exchange - Emergency ...
Download a PDF of this issue - Field Exchange - Emergency ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
News<br />
En-net update<br />
By Tamsin Walters, en-net<br />
moderator<br />
Twenty-seven questions were posted on en-net in the<br />
three months up to Christmas, eliciting 102 replies. In<br />
addition, 17 job vacancies have been posted.<br />
Recent discussions have included: how to deal with unsolicited<br />
donations <strong>of</strong> breastmilk substitutes (BMS) during the<br />
Horn <strong>of</strong> Africa crisis, measuring undernutrition and vulnerability<br />
in older people, the use <strong>of</strong> different cut-<strong>of</strong>fs for assessing<br />
undernutrition in different contexts and countries, how to<br />
report uncured registered cases at the end <strong>of</strong> a communitybased<br />
management <strong>of</strong> acute malnutrition (CMAM)<br />
programme within indicators <strong>of</strong> programme performance, and<br />
target weight setting for HIV-positive moderately acutely<br />
malnourished children in outpatient therapeutic care.<br />
Two recent questions have sought evidence and guidance<br />
on how mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) changes during<br />
the treatment <strong>of</strong> acute malnutrition. These build on previous<br />
discussions concerning appropriate exit criteria for CMAM<br />
programmes that predominantly use MUAC for admission. A<br />
recent study, published in the Nutrition Journal, was<br />
conducted in Kenya to quantify MUAC changes among dehydrated<br />
children some <strong>of</strong> whom were malnourished,<br />
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/10/1/92. The authors<br />
were able to quantify that a one percent (1%) change in<br />
weight, was associated with a 0.40 mm change in MUAC.<br />
Examination <strong>of</strong> data from programme record cards from<br />
Community therapeutic care (CTC) programmes during the<br />
CTC research programme and in the initial roll-out <strong>of</strong> CTC /<br />
CMAM show a range <strong>of</strong> median MUAC gains (0.25 mm per day<br />
to 0.50 mm per day) . However, these are averages <strong>of</strong> averages<br />
over an entire treatment episode. The rate <strong>of</strong> change is not<br />
consistent over the entire treatment episode and an uncomplicated<br />
case <strong>of</strong> severe acute malnutrition (SAM), typically follows<br />
a growth curve with rapid gains early in the treatment episode.<br />
A MUAC study currently being undertaken in Malawi by<br />
Valid International is also looking at MUAC and weight<br />
changes during treatment <strong>of</strong> SAM, with results expected later<br />
<strong>this</strong> year. A body <strong>of</strong> data is building around these <strong>issue</strong>s that<br />
could lead to improved future guidance for programme<br />
management.<br />
To join the discussion, go to http://www.en-net.org.uk/question/602.aspx.<br />
In the Cross-cutting Issues forum area a call for contributions<br />
has been posted for the recently launched ALNAP survey to<br />
inform the upcoming ‘State <strong>of</strong> the Humanitarian System’<br />
Report. A link to the survey can be found at http://www.ennet.org.uk/question/604.aspx.<br />
Don’t miss <strong>this</strong> chance to<br />
include your views and ensure that the voices <strong>of</strong> the emergency<br />
nutrition community are well-represented. The survey<br />
only takes 7-10 minutes to complete.<br />
Two new forum areas have recently been launched on en-net:<br />
Coverage Assessment, http://www.en-net.org.uk/forum/<br />
16.aspx (see news piece in <strong>this</strong> <strong>issue</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Field</strong> <strong>Exchange</strong>), and<br />
Upcoming Trainings, http://www.en-net.org.uk/forum/<br />
15.aspx. ENN has received several requests for training on<br />
nutrition in emergencies, particularly from within Africa and<br />
we hope <strong>this</strong> forum area will provide a useful place for advertising<br />
courses and bringing people together with an interest in<br />
developing capacity to respond.<br />
To join a discussion and share your experience or to post a<br />
question, visit www.en-net.org.uk<br />
1<br />
Mwangome, MK, Fegan G, Prentice AM and Berkley JA. Are diagnostic<br />
criteria for acute malnutrition affected by hydration status in hospitalized<br />
children? A repeated measures study Nutrition Journal 2011, 10:92<br />
2<br />
Mark Myatt analyses<br />
Attractive scholarship<br />
for EDAMUS Masters<br />
programme<br />
AConsortium <strong>of</strong> universities <strong>of</strong>fering the EDAMUS Masters degree on<br />
‘Sustainable Management <strong>of</strong> Food Quality’ has been granted the<br />
Erasmus Mundus label by the European Union. This means a number <strong>of</strong><br />
attractive scholarships are now available to students coming from both European<br />
and non-European countries. The programme is coordinated by the University <strong>of</strong><br />
Montpellier 1 (France), in collaboration with a large international partnership <strong>of</strong><br />
academic institutions.<br />
Students from developing countries can apply for a 2-year scholarship to the<br />
Masters course (24,000 euros per year). Within the second year <strong>of</strong> <strong>this</strong> Master<br />
Course, there is a specialisation in ‘Nutrition in Developing Countries’.<br />
There are 10 scholarships <strong>of</strong>fered in 2012 for the course beginning in<br />
September 2012. It is anticipated there should be 10 scholarships in 2013 and each<br />
year following, for 5 years.<br />
The deadline for applications is January 30th, 2012 (receiving date) for<br />
students demanding an Erasmus Mundus scholarship and April 1st, 2012 for the<br />
others.<br />
For further information, visit: http://www.master-edamus.eu/<br />
Government <strong>of</strong> Sudan<br />
CMAM Training Course on<br />
Inpatient Management <strong>of</strong><br />
Severe Acute Malnutrition:<br />
Training Materials (2011)<br />
In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published the Management <strong>of</strong><br />
severe malnutrition: A manual for physicians and other senior health workers<br />
and in 2002 the Training course on the management <strong>of</strong> severe malnutrition.<br />
FANTA-2, in collaboration with national partners in Sudan, adapted and built on<br />
the WHO documents, the 2009 Government <strong>of</strong> Sudan Community-Based<br />
Management <strong>of</strong> Severe Acute Malnutrition manual, and other materials to<br />
develop training materials for inpatient management <strong>of</strong> SAM designed for physicians,<br />
nurses, and nutritionists in hospitals in Sudan. While the training course<br />
focuses on inpatient care, the training materials are compatible with the<br />
Community-Based Management <strong>of</strong> Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach and<br />
the Sudan context.<br />
Course materials include a set <strong>of</strong> training modules, three training guides, a set <strong>of</strong><br />
job aids, forms, and checklists, a book <strong>of</strong> photographs and several videos used in<br />
the training, related slide presentations and several documents to help with planning<br />
and additional reading. All files can be downloaded from:<br />
http://www.fantaproject.org/publications/sudan_CMAM_IC_2011.shtml.<br />
Support for development <strong>of</strong> the training materials was provided by the United<br />
States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Democracy,<br />
Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, Office <strong>of</strong> U.S. Foreign Disaster<br />
Assistance, and the Bureau for Global Health, Office <strong>of</strong> Health, Infectious<br />
Diseases, and Nutrition.<br />
55