Launch of The Lancet’s Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition

The Lancet's Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition has just been launched. (January 16, 2008). The Series aims to increase awareness around maternal and child undernutrition and serve as a catalyst for national-level governments, non-governmental organisations and the international nutrition community to spur action and stimulate national interest, leadership, and commitment.

Series launches have been held in Washington, D.C. and London, and will continue in Ethiopia, India, Peru, Vietnam, and West Africa to help raise awareness of and deepen support for maternal and child nutrition at the donor, policy and programmatic levels in countries that face the most serious nutrition challenges. Many health and development agencies including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, UNICEF, USAID, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributed to the production of the series. It includes contributions from leading academics and nutrition experts from the UK, USA, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

There are five papers in the series with one being published in the print edition of The Lancet each week. All five papers, the web appendices, and a 12-page Executive Summary of The Lancet's Series, are available online (free) at: http://www.globalnutritionseries.org/ The website also includes details of global events, a media centre and resources centre.