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Background: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals that aim to reduce malnutrition and child mortality depends in part on the ability of governments/policymakers to address nutritional status of children in general and those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in particular. This study describes HIV prevalence in children, patterns of malnutrition by HIV status and determinants of nutritional status. Methods: The study involved 671 children aged 12-59 months living in the Agincourt sub-district, rural South Africa in 2007. Anthropometric measurements were taken and HIV testing with disclosure was done using two rapid tests. Z-scores were generated using WHO 2006 standards as indicators of nutritional status. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to establish the determinants of child nutritonal status. Results: Prevalence of malnutrition, particularly stunting (18%), was high in the overall sample of children. HIV prevalence in this age group was 4.4% (95% CI: 2.79 to 5.97). HIV positive children had significantly poorer nutritional outcomes than their HIV negative counterparts. Besides HIV status, other significant determinants of nutritional outcomes included age of the child, birth weight, maternal age, age of household head, and area of residence. Conclusions: This study documents poor nutritional status among children aged 12-59 months in rural South Africa. HIV is an independent modifiable risk factor for poor nutritional outcomes and makes a significant contribution to nutritional outcomes at the individual level. Early paediatric HIV testing of exposed or at risk children, followed by appropriate health care for infected children, may improve their nutritional status and survival.

Abstract Background Achieving the Millennium Development Goals that aim to reduce malnutrition and child mortality depends in part on the ability of governments/policymakers to address nutritional status of children in general and those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in particular. This study describes HIV prevalence in children, patterns of malnutrition by HIV status and determinants of nutritional status. Methods The study involved 671 children aged 12-59 months living in the Agincourt sub-district, rural South Africa in 2007. Anthropometric measurements were taken and HIV testing with disclosure was done using two rapid tests. Z-scores were generated using WHO 2006 standards as indicators of nutritional status. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to establish the determinants of child nutritonal status. Results Prevalence of malnutrition, particularly stunting (18%), was high in the overall sample of children. HIV prevalence in this age group was 4.4% (95% CI: 2.79 to 5.97). HIV positive children had significantly poorer nutritional outcomes than their HIV negative counterparts. Besides HIV status, other significant determinants of nutritional outcomes included age of the child, birth weight, maternal age, age of household head, and area of residence. Conclusions This study documents poor nutritional status among children aged 12-59 months in rural South Africa. HIV is an independent modifiable risk factor for poor nutritional outcomes and makes a significant contribution to nutritional outcomes at the individual level. Early paediatric HIV testing of exposed or at risk children, followed by appropriate health care for infected children, may improve their nutritional status and survival.

Optimizing nutrition in the preconception and 1000 days periods have long-term benefits such as higher economic productivity, reduced risk of related non-communicable diseases and increased health and well-being. Despite Ghana's recent progress in reducing malnutrition, the situation is far from optimal. This qualitative study analyzed the maternal and child health nutrition policy framework in Ghana to identify the current barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nutrition policies and programs relating to the first 1000 days plus. Data analyzed included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Ghana between March and April 2019. Participants were composed of experts from government agencies, civil society organizations, community-based organizations and international partners at national and subnational levels. Seven critical areas were identified: planning policy implementation, resources, leadership and stakeholders' engagement, implementation guidance and ongoing communication, organizational culture, accountability and governance and coverage. The study showed that, to eradicate malnutrition in Ghana, priorities of individual stakeholders have to be merged and aligned into a single 1000 days plus nutrition policy framework. Furthermore, this study may support stakeholders in implementing successfully the 1000 days plus nutrition policy activities in Ghana.

Optimizing nutrition in the preconception and 1000 days periods have long-term benefits such as higher economic productivity, reduced risk of related non-communicable diseases and increased health and well-being. Despite Ghana's recent progress in reducing malnutrition, the situation is far from optimal. This qualitative study analyzed the maternal and child health nutrition policy framework in Ghana to identify the current barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nutrition policies and programs relating to the first 1000 days plus. Data analyzed included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Ghana between March and April 2019. Participants were composed of experts from government agencies, civil society organizations, community-based organizations and international partners at national and subnational levels. Seven critical areas were identified: planning policy implementation, resources, leadership and stakeholders' engagement, implementation guidance and ongoing communication, organizational culture, accountability and governance and coverage. The study showed that, to eradicate malnutrition in Ghana, priorities of individual stakeholders have to be merged and aligned into a single 1000 days plus nutrition policy framework. Furthermore, this study may support stakeholders in implementing successfully the 1000 days plus nutrition policy activities in Ghana.

AbstractIntroductionIt is common in urban African settings for postpartum women to temporarily return to family in distant settings. We sought to explore mobility among peripartum HIV‐positive women to understand the timing and motivation of travel, particularly vis‐à‐vis delivery, and how it may affect healthcare access.MethodsUsing the same mobility measurements within three different studies, we examined long‐distance travel of mother and infant before and after delivery in three diverse clinics within greater Johannesburg, South Africa (n = 150). Participants were interviewed prior to delivery at two sites (n = 125) and after delivery at one (n = 25). Quantitative and qualitative results are reported.ResultsAmong 150 women, median age was 29 years (IQR: 26 to 34) and 36.3% were employed. Overall, 76.7% of the participants were born in South Africa: 32.7% in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg area) and 44.0% in other South African provinces, but birthplace varied greatly by site. Almost half (44.0%) planned to travel around delivery; nearly all after delivery. Median duration of stay was 30 days (IQR: 24 to 90) overall, but varied from 60 days at two sites to just 7 days at another. Participants discussed travel to eight of South Africa's nine provinces and four countries. Travel most frequently was to visit family, typically to receive help with the new baby. Nearly all the employed participants planned to return to work in Johannesburg after delivery, sometimes leaving the infant in the care of family outside of Johannesburg. All expressed their intent to continue HIV care for themselves and their infant, but few planned to seek care at the destination site, and care for the infant was emphasized over care for the mother.ConclusionsWe identified frequent travel in the peripartum period with substantial differences in travel patterns by site. Participants more frequently discussed seeking care for the infant than for themselves. HIV‐exposed children often were left in the care of family members in distant areas. Our results show the frequent mobility of women and infants in the peripartum period. This underscores the challenge of ensuring a continuity of HIV care in a fragmented healthcare system that is not adapted for a mobile population.

The nutritional status of both women and men before conception has profound implications for the growth, development, and long-term health of their offspring. Evidence of the effectiveness of preconception interventions for improving outcomes for mothers and babies is scarce. However, given the large potential health return, and relatively low costs and risk of harm, research into potential interventions is warranted. We identified three promising strategies for intervention that are likely to be scalable and have positive effects on a range of health outcomes: supplementation and fortification; cash transfers and incentives; and behaviour change interventions. On the basis of these strategies, we suggest a model specifying pathways to effect. Pathways are incorporated into a life-course framework using individual motivation and receptiveness at different preconception action phases, to guide design and targeting of preconception interventions. Interventions for individuals not planning immediate pregnancy take advantage of settings and implementation platforms outside the maternal and child health arena, since this group is unlikely to be engaged with maternal health services. Interventions to improve women's nutritional status and health behaviours at all preconception action phases should consider social and environmental determinants, to avoid exacerbating health and gender inequalities, and be underpinned by a social movement that touches the whole population. We propose a dual strategy that targets specific groups actively planning a pregnancy, while improving the health of the population more broadly. Modern marketing techniques could be used to promote a social movement based on an emotional and symbolic connection between improved preconception maternal health and nutrition, and offspring health. We suggest that speedy and scalable benefits to public health might be achieved through strategic engagement with the private sector. Political theory supports the development of an advocacy coalition of groups interested in preconception health, to harness the political will and leadership necessary to turn high-level policy into effective coordinated action.

The nutritional status of women and men before conception has profound implications for the growth, development and long-term health of their offspring. Evidence of the effectiveness of preconception interventions in improving outcomes for mothers or babies is scarce, though given the large potential health return, relatively low costs and risk of harm, intervention is still warranted. We identify three promising strategies for intervention that are likely to be scalable and to have positive effects on a range of health outcomes: supplementation and fortification; cash transfers; and behaviour change interventions. Based on this, we suggest a model specifying pathways to effect. Pathways are incorporated into a lifecourse framework using individual motivation and receptiveness at different 'preconception action phases' to guide design and targeting of preconception interventions. Interventions with those not planning immediate pregnancy take advantage of settings and implementation platforms outside the maternal and child health arena, since this group is unlikely to be engaged with maternal health services. Interventions to improve women's nutritional status and health behaviours at all preconception action phases need to take account of social and environmental determinants to avoid exacerbating health and gender inequalities, and should be underpinned by a social movement that touches the whole population. A dual strategy that targets specific groups actively planning a pregnancy, while improving the health of the population more broadly, is proposed. The engagement of modern marketing techniques points to a social movement based on an emotional and symbolic connection between improved maternal nutrition and health prior to conception and offspring health. We suggest that speedy and scalable public health benefit might be achieved through strategic engagement with the private sector. Political theory supports the development of an advocacy coalition of groups interested in preconception health, to harness the ...