Universal Salt Iodization (USI) - FTP Directory Listing

www.unsystem.org/scn 1Secretary’s Round-upThis edition of the SCN News is about one of the greatest success stories in international nutrition, that ofUniversal Salt Iodization. Although much still remains to be done, remarkable advances have been achievedin the fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in the last two decades. The series was organizedthanks to a special collaboration by the Micronutrient Initiative, with Venkatesh Mannar agreeing to becomethe guest editor for this edition. We hope that you enjoy the articles, and our thanks are due to all those thathave collaborated in this including Venkatesh, the writers themselves, and the peer review team.The last semester of 2007 has seen increased attention to the structure and function of the internationalnutrition system. The report of the Independent External Review of the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) has recommended considerable changes to the nutrition capacity of the organization. How FAO willrespond to these recommendations remains to be determined. At the request of the SCN Chair, the SCNSteering Committee has agreed that a review of the international nutrition coordination mechanisms amongUN agencies in particular be carried out. The review will give special consideration to how best to structurethe relationships between the SCN and the emerging activities being promoted through the Ending ChildHunger and Undernutrition Initiative (ECHUI). The review recommendations will be discussed at the 35 thSession of the SCN to be held in Hanoi in the first week of March.The 35 th Session of the SCN will look at accelerating the reduction of maternal and child undernutrition, andthe latest draft agenda and details for registration are available at the SCN website. The Session will belooking at the programmatic implications of the findings from the upcoming Lancet Nutrition Series, which hasfive papers that will be published during five weeks, starting the 17 th January. The first two papers review theprevalence and the short and long term consequences of maternal and child undernutrition on individuals andsocieties. The third paper explores the potential impact of evidence based interventions on reducingincidence of maternal and child undernutrition. The final two papers assess national and international effortsto improve nutrition and suggest ways to improve program effectiveness. All five papers will be available onthe internet in early January, and links will be posted on the SCN website.Many staff changes have occurred among the various SCN constituents during this last semester. At FAOEzzeddine Boutrif was appointed as Director of the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division and at WHOJorgen Schlundt has taken over as acting Director in charge of Nutrition in Health and Development. DeniseCoitinho, previously the Director of Nutrition in Health and Development at WHO, has become the coordinatorof an interagency action team, based at WFP in Rome, that will give fresh impetus to the ending child hungeractivities. Ian Darnton-Hill, from UNICEF NYHQ, will also be going to Rome to work with the interagencyteam on a regular basis. At the World Bank, Julian Schweitzer has been appointed as Director of the HealthNutrition and Population Department. A warm welcome is extended to all of the above, and we wish themevery success in their work, and look forward to the continued collaboration of their agencies with the SCN.Roger Shrimpton* FAO (2007) FAO: The Challenge of Renewal: An independent external evaluation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (workingdraft). FAO:Rome. (online)back to contents SCN NEWS # 35