Program Responses to Acute and Chronic Malnutrition: Divergences and Convergences

Gilles Bergeron; Tony Castleman

doi:10.3945/an.111.001263

Program Responses to Acute and Chronic Malnutrition: Divergences and Convergences¹,²,³

Gilles Bergeron⁴,^* and
Tony Castleman⁵

⁴Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project, FHI Development 360, LLC. Washington, DC; and
⁵Institute for International Economic Policy, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

↵*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gbergeron{at}fhi360.org.

Abstract

Program approaches for addressing acute malnutrition and those for addressing chronic malnutrition have grown in different directions. Their specialization has led to productive advances in the efficacy of specific interventions but has also created divergences in implementation. Greater convergence and integration between the 2 sets of approaches would help programs respond to the diversity of conditions faced in the field and enable a more comprehensive continuum of care from prevention to treatment. After reviewing the causes of the differences in approach, this paper examines programmatic and scientific challenges to greater convergence and suggests steps to promote effective integration of acute and chronic malnutrition services. Steps include strengthening community linkages between program platforms, assessing the degree and type of integration needed in various situations, identifying cost efficiencies, and developing joint tools where possible.

Footnotes

↵1 Published as a supplement to Advances in Nutrition. Presented at a symposium titled “Building Convergence among Scientific, Programmatic, and Policy Communities: Working on Childhood Undernutrition in Developing Countries” given at the annual Experimental Biology meeting, Monday, April 11, 2011, in Washington, DC. The symposium was partly supported by the American Society for Nutrition. The symposium was chaired by Purnima Menon and Rebecca Stoltzfus. Guest Editors for this symposium publication were Rebecca J. Stolzfus and Edward A. Frongillo. Guest Editor disclosures: Rebecca J. Stolzfus had no conflicts to disclose. Edward A. Frongillo had no conflicts to disclose.
↵2 Supported by the United States Agency for International Development through the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance-II Project.
↵3 Author disclosures: G. Bergeron and T. Castleman, no conflicts of interest.