Launch of The State of Severe Malnutrition website

A new website, the State of Severe Malnutrition, has been launched by the No Wasted Lives Initiative (www.nowastedlives.org), providing a comprehensive overview of all qualitative and quantitative resources on acute malnutrition. The website aims to link malnutrition discussions to wider public health and child survival debates, highlight the progress that has been made globally on treatment coverage, and provide a global perspective and country-specific overviews of malnutrition treatment outcomes. It also provides a platform to support coordination and communication across key research areas, amongst researchers and those interested in using emerging evidence for programmes and policies.

The site brings together information from a range of sources, providing the most up-to-date information on acute malnutrition. Sources include UNICEFs 'Global SAM Management Update Tool (Nutridash)’ data, Coverage Monitoring Network, The CMAM Forum, WHO/UNICEF/World Bank Joint Estimates, Global Nutrition Report, WHO mortality database, WHO Malaria database, UNAIDS HIV database as well as Centre for Disease Control (CDC) databases. The website also links with WHO’s Global Database on the Implementation of Nutrition Actions (GINA) and ENNs periodic publications (Field Exchange and Nutrition Exchange). Technical questions are directed to en-net, the established online forum hosted by ENN. 

Content is shared in a user-friendly format, using interactive maps and visuals. Resources, events and ‘state of play’ at country level are organised by the following themes:

• Enabling environment: includes policy and guidance documents, as well as financing data points and information.
• Supply: includes data on products and routine medicine, human resources, geographical coverage and community mobilisation.
• Demand: includes quantitative data on the burden of acute malnutrition, nutrition and infection (including malaria and HIV) and health-seeking behaviour.
• Quality: includes data on treatment admission and exits, treatment coverage, lives-saved estimates and cost-effectiveness.

Ongoing research is shared through an interactive diagram that maps current ongoing research related to severe malnutrition (www.severemalnutrition.org/). The studies and information included draw from publicly available research protocols and research databases as well as additional information submitted by the research teams involved. Information is provided at thematic, sub-theme and individual study level.

Individuals are invited to join the discussions on data or submit resources, research and events as part of the website’s ongoing development.  To find out more, visit www.severemalnutrition.org or contact: info@severemalnutrition.org