Valid International’s research aims to tackle the complex and persistent challenges related to addressing undernutrition in the developing world. We believe that, to maximize impact on undernutrition, evidence-driven, field-based research must play a central role in the design of policy and practice – this builds on the success of our approach leading up to the international adoption of CMAM in 2007. Our global partnerships with national governments and nutrition programme implementers mean that we are well placed to identify critical knowledge gaps for nutrition and operationalize research outcomes. Now our work, that uses a multidisciplinary approach and a wide network of national and international research partners, is focussed on several areas of inquiry that include assessment of undernutrition, humanitarian and development programme effectiveness and cost effectiveness, access to improved nutrition through innovative delivery platforms and the role of the private sector.
We have recently completed research that has resulted in a better understanding of the cost effectiveness of the CMAM approach, of the effect of HIV on SAM treatment outcomes and of the impact of high defaulting from a CMAM programme in Nigeria. In addition, our recent research has helped to simplify anthropometric procedures for nutrition program admission and discharge and has examined the effectiveness of new approaches for addressing Moderate Acute Malnutrition.
Some of VI’s ongoing research includes two studies under USAID’s flagship nutrition project in Ethiopia that will help to illuminate outcomes of children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition in areas that do not support food supplements and that will examine the long-term health outcomes of children successfully treated for severe acute malnutrition. Other projects include development of a causal analysis tool for stunting in Sierra Leone, a test market to examine whether the retail sale of nutritional complements could prevent chronic malnutrition, and various projects that aim to improve the cost-effectiveness of nutritional supplements both for their impact on addressing malnutrition globally but also their impacts on local market economies.
For more information contact office@validinternational.org or call us on +44 1865 722 180