Peer-reviewed article
Strategies to reduce malnutrition in children: what works in low-resource settings?
Narjis Fatima Hussain, Zulfiqar A Bhutta ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This review examines strategies to reduce child malnutrition in low-and-middle-income countries, where the problem remains widespread due to biological, social, economic, environmental and conflict factors. The evidence shows that nutrition-sensitive interventions like women's empowerment, social protection, water and sanitation, immunisation, and kitchen gardens work alongside nutrition-specific strategies such as micronutrient supplementation and improved infant feeding practices. Integrated, multisectoral approaches that combine nutrition with health services, social protection and community programmes are more effective than standalone interventions. The review concludes that future efforts should focus on context-responsive, layered programming that strengthens health systems while adapting to climate and humanitarian challenges.
Key points
- Nutrition-sensitive interventions including women's empowerment, social protection, WASH, immunisation, kitchen gardens and biofortification address underlying drivers of child malnutrition
- Nutrition-specific strategies such as antenatal micronutrient supplementation, optimal infant and young child feeding, and fortified complementary foods show measurable gains in growth and nutritional status
- Integrated and multisectoral delivery models consistently outperform standalone programs
- Particularly strong results occur when nutrition is combined with health services, social protection, community-based platforms, or climate- and conflict-responsive strategies
- Future research should prioritise implementation models that bridge nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive domains
Limitations
This is a literature review that synthesises recent evidence but does not present original data or evaluate a specific intervention's effectiveness with a defined study design. The review identifies general categories of effective approaches but does not quantify the magnitude of effects or provide detailed comparisons across specific interventions.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Child malnutrition in low-and-middle-income countries remains persistently high, driven by converging biological, social, economic, environmental, and conflict-related factors. As progress slows and vulnerabilities intensify, this review synthesises emerging evidence from recent years to identify effective strategies and future directions for reducing undernutrition in resource-constrained settings. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature demonstrates that nutrition-sensitive interventions, including women's empowerment, social protection, WASH, immunisation, kitchen gardens, and biofortification, address key underlying drivers of child malnutrition and contribute to improved growth and dietary diversity. Building on these foundations, nutrition-specific strategies such as antenatal micronutrient supplementation, optimal infant and young child feeding practices, fortified complementary foods, and emerging approaches like microbiota-directed foods and fermentation have shown measurable gains in growth and nutritional status. Across the evidence base, integrated and multisectoral delivery models consistently outperform standalone programs, with particularly strong results when nutrition is combined with health services, social protection, community-based platforms, or climate- and conflict-responsive strategies. SUMMARY: Current evidence underscores a shift toward integrated, layered, and context-responsive programming as the most effective path to reducing child malnutrition. Future research should prioritise implementation models that bridge nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive domains, strengthen health and community systems, and adapt to climate and humanitarian pressures.