How does the human rights perspective help to shape the food and nutrition policy research agenda?

Food as a human right was first laid down 50 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The last 10 years, in particular, have witnessed an increased recognition of the importance of the human rights approach for designing policies and interventions that promote food and nutrition security, as evidenced by the highly visible role given to human rights at the 1996 World Food Summit. But, given that the design of effective policies and interventions is based on good analysis and information, what are the implications of the human rights approach for the food and nutrition policy research agenda? This is the question we address in this paper. We note several implications of the human rights perspective in terms of (1) new research areas, (2) new perspectives on old issues, and (3) implications for research methods.Food security. ,Human rights. ,Nutrition. ,

Progress in reducing hunger after the World Food Summit

The World Food Summit (WFS) was held in November 1996. The WFS, as spelled out in its final document, clearly indicated what was needed and expected to be done. The WFS overall objective was "... to eradicate hunger in all countries, with an immediate view to reducing the number of undernourished people to half their present [1996] level no later than 2015". This represented a target goal of 412 million people undernourished, down from 824 million (estimated) in 1996. The WFS participating countries did make wise decisions and the outcome documents were ambitious and well formulated, particularly so because they indicated a commitment on behalf of the international community to address the issue of hunger. The large number of countries that participated in the Summit gave reasons for optimism. The goals were formulated as 7 commitments, with subsequent objectives and actions. This was a signal that it was seriously meant

Iodine-induced goitre and high prevalence of anaemia among Saharawi refugee women

Objective: The main objective was to assess iodine status (thyroid volume (Tvol) and urinary iodine concentration (UIC)) and their determinants in Saharawi refugee women. Design: A cross-sectional survey was performed during January–February 2007. Tvol was measured by ultrasound and iodine concentration was analysed in spot urine samples and in household drinking water. Anthropometry and Hb concentration were measured and background variables were collected using pre-coded questionnaires. Setting: The survey was undertaken in four long-term refugee camps in the Algerian desert. Subjects: Non-pregnant women (n 394), 15–45 years old, randomly selected. Results: Median (25th percentile–75th percentile (P25–P75)) UIC was 466 (294–725)mg/l. Seventy-four per cent had UIC above 300mg/l and 46% above 500mg/l. Median (P25–P75) Tvol was 9?4 (7?4–12?0) ml and the goitre prevalence was 22 %. UIC was positively associated with iodine in drinking water and negatively associated with breast-feeding, and these two variables explained 28% of the variation in UIC. The mean (SD) Hb level was 11.8 (2.4) g/dl. In total 46% were anaemic with 14 %, 25% and 7%, classified with respectively mild, moderate and severe anaemia. Conclusions: The Saharawi women had high UIC, high levels of iodine in drinking water and increased Tvol and probably suffered from iodine-induced goitre. The high prevalence of anaemia is considered to be a severe public health concern. To what extent the excessive iodine intake and the anaemia have affected thyroid function is unknown and should be addressed in future studies. Keywords Excess urinary iodine Iodine-rich drinking water Saharawi refuge women Iron deficiency Women’s micronutrient status is of particular importance since it affects not only their own health, but also the health of their children(1). Deficiencies of iodine and Fe remain major public health problems, affecting .30% of the global population(2,3). Insufficient iodine intake as well as excess iodine intake may cause thyroid diseases(4). Fe deficiency is the most common and widespread micronutrient deficiency worldwide(3) and may have multiple adverse effects on thyroid metabolism(5). Refugees from Western Sahara have been settled in the Algerian desert since 1975 and they are totally dependent on food aid in the harsh, resource-poor desert environment. The refugee population is experiencing a number of challenges related to their food, nutrition and health situation(6). Endemic goitre has been reported among Saharawi schoolchildren and this is probably caused by iodine excess(7–10), but further studies are required to understand the aetiology. The main objective of the present paper is to assess iodine status (thyroid volume (Tvol) and urinary iodine concentration (UIC)) and their determinants in Saharawi refugee women of childbearing age. The secondary objective is to assess their prevalence of anaemia

Environmental implication of iodine in water, milk and other foods used in Saharawi refugees camps in Tindouf, Algeria

A cross-sectional survey among Saharawi refugees in four camps carried out in 2007 revealed enlarged thyroid volume and high urinary iodine concentration in women and school children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the content of iodine in food and water and explore whether any sources in the environment can explain the situation. Samples of water (n = 143), milk (n = 19) and salt (n = 89) were collected. Different wells supplied the camps with water and the median iodine concentration was 108 mg/L (range 55–545 mg/L) and significantly higher in two of the camps (El Aiune and Ausserd; 300 mg/L (range 55–545 mg/L)), compared to the two other camps (Smara; 87 mg/L (55–127 mg/L) and Dakla; 70 mg/L (55–96 mg/L)). In local goat milk the median iodine concentration was 370 mg/L (70– 13,070 mg/L). The median content of iodine in salt was 6 mg/g (0–51 mg/g). Water and local milk were the most important sources of iodine for women. High levels of iodine in water seem to be one of the main sources of iodine that affects humans as well as animal

Urban challenges to food and nutrition security

This review of recent literature explores the urban face of food and nutrition security in a more comprehensive, integrated way than most previous efforts. The review is organized around a conceptual framework that identifies food insecurity, inadequate caring behaviors, and poor health as the primary causes of malnutrition. It discusses current knowledge in eight areas that require the special attention of policymakers, development practitioners, and program administrators who wish to improve urban food and nutrition security: the sources and cost of food; incomes and employment; urban agriculture; urban diets; child caregiving practices; childhood mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition; health and environment; and social assistance programs, or safety nets. The review also reports on the magnitude of rural-urban and intra-urban health differences in mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition. In conclusion, the review indicates which policy issues and knowledge gaps remain for future research to address.Urban health. ,Urban poor Services for. ,Food security. ,Malnutrition. ,Child care. ,

Data quality and practical challenges of thyroid volume assessment by ultrasound under field conditions - observer errors may affect prevalence estimates of goitre

Background: The ultrasonographic estimation of thyroid size has been advocated as being more precise than palpation to diagnose goitre. However, ultrasound also requires technical proficiency. This study was conducted among Saharawi refugees, where goitre is highly prevalent. The objectives were to assess the overall data quality of ultrasound measurements of thyroid volume (Tvol), including the intra- and inter-observer agreement, under field conditions, and to describe some of the practical challenges encountered. Methods: In 2007 a cross-sectional study of 419 children (6-14 years old) and 405 women (15-45 years old) was performed on a population of Saharawi refugees with prevalent goitre, who reside in the Algerian desert. Tvol was measured by two trained fieldworkers using portable ultrasound equipment (examiner 1 measured 406 individuals, and examiner 2, 418 individuals). Intra- and inter-observer agreement was estimated in 12 children selected from the study population but not part of the main study. In the main study, an observer error was found in one examiner whose ultrasound images were corrected by linear regression after printing and remeasuring a sample of 272 images. Results: The intra-observer agreement in Tvol was higher in examiner 1, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.99) compared to 0.86 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.96) in examiner 2. The ICC for inter-observer agreement in Tvol was 0.38 (95% CI: -0.20, 0.77). Linear regression coefficients indicated a significant scaling bias in the original measurements of the AP and ML diameter and a systematic underestimation of Tvol (a product of AP, ML, CC and a constant). The agreement between re-measured and original Tvol measured by ICC (95% CI) was 0.76 (0.71, 0.81). The agreement between re-measured and corrected Tvol measured by ICC (95% CI) was 0.97 (0.96, 0.97). Conclusions: An important challenge when using ultrasound to assess thyroid volume under field conditions is to recruit and train qualified personnel to perform the measurements. Methodological studies are important to assess data quality and can facilitate statistical corrections and improved estimatesI HiAk Brage finner du utgivers pdf-versjon. Dette er en Open Access artikkel distribuert i henhold til The Creative Commons Attribution Licence ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 In HiAk Brage You'll find the publishers pdf. This Journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.

Modeling and Validating the Cost and Clinical Pathway of Colorectal Cancer

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Métodos para monitorear el derecho humano a la alimentación adecuada

Apoyo financiero de los Gobiernos de Alemania, Austria, Holanda y España. La traducción al español de esta Guía fue posible gracias a la contribución de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID)Vol. 1: Fundamentos para el monitoreo enfocado y basado en los derechos humanos. -- Vol. 2: Una visión general sobre enfoques y herramienta