Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review

Background Low/middle-income countries (LMICs) face triple burden of malnutrition associated with infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. This review aims to synthesise the available data on the delivery, coverage, and effectiveness of the nutrition programmes for conflict affected women...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Michelle F Gaffey, Jai K Das, Mariella Munyuzangabo, Fahad J Siddiqui, Sarah Meteke, Daina Als, Reena P Jain, Amruta Radhakrishnan, Shailja Shah, Anushka Ataullahjan, Zahra Ali Padhani, Wardah Ahmed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-04-01
Series:BMJ Global Health
Online Access:https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/4/e004897.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850245601402290176
author Zulfiqar A Bhutta
Michelle F Gaffey
Jai K Das
Mariella Munyuzangabo
Fahad J Siddiqui
Sarah Meteke
Daina Als
Reena P Jain
Amruta Radhakrishnan
Shailja Shah
Anushka Ataullahjan
Zahra Ali Padhani
Wardah Ahmed
author_facet Zulfiqar A Bhutta
Michelle F Gaffey
Jai K Das
Mariella Munyuzangabo
Fahad J Siddiqui
Sarah Meteke
Daina Als
Reena P Jain
Amruta Radhakrishnan
Shailja Shah
Anushka Ataullahjan
Zahra Ali Padhani
Wardah Ahmed
author_sort Zulfiqar A Bhutta
collection DOAJ
description Background Low/middle-income countries (LMICs) face triple burden of malnutrition associated with infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. This review aims to synthesise the available data on the delivery, coverage, and effectiveness of the nutrition programmes for conflict affected women and children living in LMICs.Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases and grey literature using terms related to conflict, population, and nutrition. We searched studies on women and children receiving nutrition-specific interventions during or within five years of a conflict in LMICs. We extracted information on population, intervention, and delivery characteristics, as well as delivery barriers and facilitators. Data on intervention coverage and effectiveness were tabulated, but no meta-analysis was conducted.Results Ninety-one pubblications met our inclusion criteria. Nearly half of the publications (n=43) included population of sub-Saharan Africa (n=31) followed by Middle East and North African region. Most publications (n=58) reported on interventions targeting children under 5 years of age, and pregnant and lactating women (n=27). General food distribution (n=34), micronutrient supplementation (n=27) and nutrition assessment (n=26) were the most frequently reported interventions, with most reporting on intervention delivery to refugee populations in camp settings (n=63) and using community-based approaches. Only eight studies reported on coverage and effectiveness of intervention. Key delivery facilitators included community advocacy and social mobilisation, effective monitoring and the integration of nutrition, and other sectoral interventions and services, and barriers included insufficient resources, nutritional commodity shortages, security concerns, poor reporting, limited cooperation, and difficulty accessing and following-up of beneficiaries.Discussion Despite the focus on nutrition in conflict settings, our review highlights important information gaps. Moreover, there is very little information on coverage or effectiveness of nutrition interventions; more rigorous evaluation of effectiveness and delivery approaches is needed, including outside of camps and for preventive as well as curative nutrition interventions.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019125221.
format Article
id doaj-art-c746de71cd82435ebe4f1fc2f2fb1441
institution OA Journals
issn 2059-7908
language English
publishDate 2021-04-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Global Health
spelling doaj-art-c746de71cd82435ebe4f1fc2f2fb14412025-08-20T01:59:26ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082021-04-016410.1136/bmjgh-2020-004897Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic reviewZulfiqar A Bhutta0Michelle F Gaffey1Jai K Das2Mariella Munyuzangabo3Fahad J Siddiqui4Sarah Meteke5Daina Als6Reena P Jain7Amruta Radhakrishnan8Shailja Shah9Anushka Ataullahjan10Zahra Ali Padhani11Wardah Ahmed12Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, South Central Asia and East AfricaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3 Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, PakistanCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaHealth Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, SingaporeCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCentre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaDivision of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanBackground Low/middle-income countries (LMICs) face triple burden of malnutrition associated with infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. This review aims to synthesise the available data on the delivery, coverage, and effectiveness of the nutrition programmes for conflict affected women and children living in LMICs.Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases and grey literature using terms related to conflict, population, and nutrition. We searched studies on women and children receiving nutrition-specific interventions during or within five years of a conflict in LMICs. We extracted information on population, intervention, and delivery characteristics, as well as delivery barriers and facilitators. Data on intervention coverage and effectiveness were tabulated, but no meta-analysis was conducted.Results Ninety-one pubblications met our inclusion criteria. Nearly half of the publications (n=43) included population of sub-Saharan Africa (n=31) followed by Middle East and North African region. Most publications (n=58) reported on interventions targeting children under 5 years of age, and pregnant and lactating women (n=27). General food distribution (n=34), micronutrient supplementation (n=27) and nutrition assessment (n=26) were the most frequently reported interventions, with most reporting on intervention delivery to refugee populations in camp settings (n=63) and using community-based approaches. Only eight studies reported on coverage and effectiveness of intervention. Key delivery facilitators included community advocacy and social mobilisation, effective monitoring and the integration of nutrition, and other sectoral interventions and services, and barriers included insufficient resources, nutritional commodity shortages, security concerns, poor reporting, limited cooperation, and difficulty accessing and following-up of beneficiaries.Discussion Despite the focus on nutrition in conflict settings, our review highlights important information gaps. Moreover, there is very little information on coverage or effectiveness of nutrition interventions; more rigorous evaluation of effectiveness and delivery approaches is needed, including outside of camps and for preventive as well as curative nutrition interventions.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019125221.https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/4/e004897.full
spellingShingle Zulfiqar A Bhutta
Michelle F Gaffey
Jai K Das
Mariella Munyuzangabo
Fahad J Siddiqui
Sarah Meteke
Daina Als
Reena P Jain
Amruta Radhakrishnan
Shailja Shah
Anushka Ataullahjan
Zahra Ali Padhani
Wardah Ahmed
Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
BMJ Global Health
title Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
title_full Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
title_fullStr Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
title_short Delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings: a systematic review
title_sort delivering nutrition interventions to women and children in conflict settings a systematic review
url https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/4/e004897.full
work_keys_str_mv AT zulfiqarabhutta deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT michellefgaffey deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT jaikdas deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT mariellamunyuzangabo deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT fahadjsiddiqui deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT sarahmeteke deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT dainaals deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT reenapjain deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT amrutaradhakrishnan deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT shailjashah deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT anushkaataullahjan deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT zahraalipadhani deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview
AT wardahahmed deliveringnutritioninterventionstowomenandchildreninconflictsettingsasystematicreview