Persistent Global Acute Malnutrition: A Discussion Paper on the Scope of the Problem, its Drivers, and Strategies for Moving Forward for Policy, Practice, and Research

Author(s)
Young, H. & Marshak, A.
Publication language
English
Pages
55pp
Date published
01 Jan 2018
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Children & youth, Food and nutrition, Food security
Organisations
Tufts University

In many protracted emergencies, the prevalence rates of global acute malnutrition (GAM) regularly exceed the emergency threshold of > 15% of children despite ongoing humanitarian interventions. The widespread scale and long-lasting nature of “persistent GAM” means that it must be a policy and programming priority. Drawing on a literature review and a series of key informant interviews, this paper describes the following:

  • Scale and duration of the persistent GAM problem
  • Perceived causal pathways
  • Methodological challenges in identifying trends
  • Implications for current practice and policies
  • Implications for future research