Practical Analysis of Nutritional Data (PANDA)

The volume of useful data for assessment and designing nutrition programs, and for their monitoring and evaluation, has grown enormously in recent years. UNICEF’s Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) which usually now contain nutritional variables, and many other national and sub-national surveys, are beginning to provide high coverage in information terms of nutritional problems. The availability of raw data is beginning to outstrip the capability for sound analysis – both for immediate assessment and for the more detailed research that allows for better understanding of how basic and underlying causes affect nutrition under different local conditions. Improving this capability for analysis is one way to lead to more effective programs. And one step along this way is to develop and use modern learning materials.

The Practical Analysis of Nutritional Data (P.A.N.D.A.) is a CD-ROM- (& Web-browser) based interactive learning package developed by Tulane University Department of International Health and Development, with support from UNICEF and CARE. Support from CARE was made possible through the Office of Food for Peace, US Agency for International Development under the terms of CARE's Institutional  Support Award FAO-A-00-98-00055-00.  The package is designed for those working in nutrition, health, and development, who already have some basic analytical skills and want to expand these and apply them to analyzing nutritional and related data, to answer relevant questions about malnutrition, its distribution, causes, correlates, synergies (or interactions), and related issues. The results can guide decisions on targeting, design of programs, and evaluation; contribute to analysis of policies affecting nutrition; hence to improving nutrition program planning and evaluation. It is hoped that readers will start to use, and thus also help develop, the PANDA.

The alpha version of the CD-ROM is now being distributed free of charge for the nutrition community. An updated version of PANDA is now in development, and current versions are intended to be useful until that time. Versions of the PANDA specific to micronutrient deficiencies, and to nutrition in emergencies, are in preparation, in collaboration also with the Micronutrient Initiative and CARE International. Request for copies of the PANDA CD-ROM for UNICEF staff should be addressed to Krishna Belbase at the following address:

Krishna Belbase
UNICEF Headquarters
Nutrition Section, Program Division
3 UN Plaza T-24A
New York, NY 10017
kbelbase@unicef.org

John Mason
Department of International Health and Development
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2200
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 586-3987
e-mail: masonj@tulane.edu

PANDA Creators and Consultants

Created by: John Mason, Kari Gillenwater, Rena Pugh, Eric Kenefik, Greg Collins, Meri Whitaker, David Volk.
Consultants: Janet Rice, Nancy Mock, Karen Mason, Greg Fegan.  
Web Consultants:    Meredith Aikman, Scott Venners.                                           

Department of International Health and Development, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112,
Care International
UNICEF, Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA), Kathmandu, Nepal

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