UNITED NATIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE ON COORDINATION - SUBCOMMITTEE ON NUTRITION (ACC/SCN)
The ACC/SCN is the focal point for harmonizing the policies and activities in nutrition of the United Nations system. The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), which is comprised of the heads of the UN Agencies, recommended the establishment of the Subcommittee on Nutrition in 1977, following the World Food Conference (with particular reference to Resolution V on food and nutrition). This was approved by the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The role of the SCN is to serve as a coordinating mechanism, for exchange of information and technical guidance, and to act dynamically to help the UN respond to nutritional problems.
The UN members of the SCN are: FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IFAD, ILO, UN, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNRISD, UNU, WFC, WFP and WHO. From the outset, representatives of bilateral donor agencies have participated actively in SCN activities. The SCN is assisted by the Advisory Group on Nutrition (AGN), with six to eight experienced individuals drawn from relevant disciplines and with wide geographical representation. The Secretariat is hosted by WHO in Geneva.
The SCN undertakes a range of activities too meet its mandate. Annual meetings have representation from the concerned UN agencies, from some 10 to 20 donor agencies, the AGN, as well as invitees on specific topics; these meetings begin with symposia on topics of current importance for policy. The SCN brings certain such matters to the attention of the ACC. The SCN sponsors working groups on inter-sectoral and sector-specific topics. Ten-year programmes to address two major deficiencies, vitamin A and iodine, have been launched.
The SCN compiles and disseminates information on nutrition, reflecting the shared views of the agencies concerned. Regular reports on the world nutrition situation are issued, and flows of external resources to address nutrition problems are assessed. State-of-the-Art papers. are produced to summarize current knowledge on selected topics. As decided by the Subcommittee, initiatives are taken to promote coordinated activities - inter-agency programmes, meetings, publications - aimed at reducing malnutrition, primarily in developing countries.
ACC/SCN
December 1988
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The designations employed and the presentation of material in
this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
part of the ACC/SCN or its UN member agencies concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. |
Dr John B Mason
Technical Secretary, ACC/SCN
c/o World Health Organization
20, Avenue Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
2.1 Population data
2.2 Food Production Indices
2.3 The Food Balance Sheet Method (Dietary Energy Supply - (DES - kcals/caput/day))
2.4 Undernourished Population - percent and numbers with DES below 1.2 BMR
2.5 Underweight Children - percent and numbers below minus 2 SD's weight for age
2.6 Infant Mortality Rates and Numbers
2.7 Child death rates and number of child deaths
3. THE ESTIMATION OF PREVALENCE OF UNDERWEIGHT CHILDREN
3.1 The calculation of predicted prevalence of underweight
3.2 Clinic data - Figures 6B to 6E of the Report
3.3 Analysis of covariance - Figure 2 of the Report
3.4 Interactions in estimating underweight prevalence for Asia
TABLE AI: Data used In the calculation of country group prevalences of below 2 S,D. weight-for-age (by country).
TABLE AII: Data from Nationally Representative Surveys of Prevalences of low Height-for-Age
Table AIII: Indicators by country group (Sources and Notes given at end)