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Everyone agrees that the key to successful action to reduce
malnutrition – in line with MDG1 for example – depends on capacity. This means the capacity to develop and run
effective programs, to identify problems and appropriate strategies, to
understand what works and what doesn’t.
It means that those responsible for policies and programs in the most
affected countries and populations need knowledge and skills in public
nutrition.
Ameliorating this constraint is a prerequisite for donors
and technical agencies in their efforts to support actions in partner
countries. Recently work has begun to
design a sustainable and broad effort to upgrade these skills among
professionals working in countries – and without necessitating their leaving
their posts for external training, but getting as good a quality learning
experience as if they went to the institutions, all over the world, that have
long experience in building just this capacity.
The expansion of communication and partnerships is leading
to innovative ways – but still with much that is traditional – of expanding
training opportunities. An important
experience is the continuing effectiveness of the Early Child Development
Virtual University (ECDV), which over the last ten years has trained three
cohorts of professionals (two have graduated now) up to Masters level in that
field. Adopting a similar approach,
tailored to public nutrition, has been explored for the last two years, and a
design for networking to provide coursework and mentoring is now being
finalized. The hope is to begin
enrolling students in the latter part of 2010, from several African countries
in the first instance, with priority for those where large scale
donor-supported projects in nutrition
are under way or being planned (to facilitate donor support). At the same time, a network of collaborating
universities is developing – from Africa, US, Europe, and SE
Asia – to provide for the training.
This website is now being built to support this effort. So far, it is aimed at keeping the
collaborating partners in touch and up-to-date.
This developmental material can be accessed through the protected area
of the site, as it is not yet ready to go live.
For password access, please contact johnbeverlymason@gmail.com and/or pnvu01@gmail.com .
As we develop, material will be moved onto this public
access part of the site.
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