Additional Reading
You can read here an example from UNICEF on how food aid programmes can reduce food insecurity and prevent malnutrition in pregnant and lactating women
UNICEF goals
- UNICEF aims to prevent all forms of malnutrition in women – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight – with emphasis on the nutritionally vulnerable periods before and during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and to meet the needs of nutritionally vulnerable pregnant adolescent girls and women.
- UNICEF programmes aim to achieve two results:
- Women benefit from diets, services and practices that support optimal nutrition before and during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
- Women benefit from gender-responsive policies, strategies and programmes that support optimal nutrition before and during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
To achieve their goals, UNICEF has set five programme priorities:
UNICEF advocates for policies, strategies, and programmes that aim to improve the nutritional status of women before pregnancy including strengthening the food environment and communities for women; create opportunities for nutrition counselling before pregnancy; support micronutrient supplementation and social and behaviour change communication. In addition, they support food fortification such as fortification of salt, wheat flour, rice, and cooking oils.
UNICEF advocates for and supports policies, strategies, and programmes that reflect global recommendations on healthy eating, micronutrient supplementation (either iron and folic acid or multiple micronutrient supplements and calcium), screening for micronutrient deficiencies (including anemia), deworming prophylaxis, weight gain monitoring, and counselling on physical activity and rest for pregnant women.
UNICEF advocates for and supports policies, strategies, and programmes that improve the nutritional status of breastfeeding mothers
(e.g., family-friendly policies); reflect global recommendations on healthy eating, micronutrient supplementation, deworming prophylaxis, physical activity, and rest during breastfeeding periods; and strengthen the quality of nutrition counselling and support for breastfeeding mothers during postnatal care visits.
UNICEF advocates for policies, strategies, and programmes that provide support to adolescent mothers and nutritionally at-risk women. This includes counselling and nutrition services, micronutrient supplementation and use of energy-protein supplements as needed. In settings with adolescent pregnancies, UNICEF will engage child protection systems as well as community stakeholders and religious leaders to prevent malnutrition. They will also create links with social protection systems to provide targeted support to nutritionally vulnerable adolescent girls and women.
UNICEF tests innovations for improving women’s nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding, such as those related to the provision of high-quality nutrition counselling, pregnancy weight gain monitoring, use of multiple micronutrient supplements and calcium supplements during pregnancy and the use of energy-protein supplements for adolescent mothers and nutritionally at-risk women. Globally, UNICEF aims to shape markets to increase access to low-cost, high-quality micronutrient supplements and other commodities and drive product innovation.