I Failed to Realize That!: Top Twelve DEF6 Of The Year

Rights-based advocacy entails focusing on better nutrition as well as the process of achieving this outcome through increased participation, empowerment, and non-discrimination. The two MDGs that are most directly related to infant and young child nutritional status are: Goal 1 to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger1; and Goal 4 to reduce child mortality2. Several of the indicators used to evaluate these MDGs include the proportion of the population living on less than US$1 per day (% population?selleck chemicals from moderate and severe underweight (per cent of children with weight-for-age Z-score?check details developing regions with respect to key infant and young child health indicators (Table?3). The exception is the relative increase in the per cent of infants who are immunized against measles. In the Sahel region, progress towards indicator 1.8 of MDG I, to reduce poverty and hunger by half is very limited, and in some situations seems to be worsening (Fig.?3). Some countries in the Sahel have made substantial progress towards the reduction of mortality rates among children less than 5 years of age (MDG IV, Fig.?4). However, improvements in other indicators have been very limited in the Sahel region as a whole, and current trends are not sufficient to reach the desired goals by 2015. Among the other markers that are measured to evaluate national and international DEF6 progress towards optimal infant and young child health are national rates of breastfeeding (early introduction, exclusivity to 6 months and continuation to 24 months as complementary foods are introduced), complementary feeding practices (the timing of introduction, quality, and quantity of complementary foods), use of nutrient supplements or fortified foods, use of insecticide treated bed nets (to reduce the risk of malaria and thus anaemia) and appropriate management of illness, particularly diarrhoea. Some progress has been achieved in increasing the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the Sahel region, but, these improvements have not been sustained in most countries (Fig.?5). The data presented above demonstrate that although some progress has been achieved in the Sahel region, there is need for continued support of effective actions and/or for implementing new programmes in geographic areas not currently covered.