Nutrition for Developing Countries

Nutrition is an essential component of the work of all health and community workers, including those involved in humanitarian assistance, and yet it is often neglected in their basic training. Drawn from the experiences of an international editor team with extensive field experience, Nutrition for Developing Countries brings together the essential basics of nutrition in an easily accessible form which is accurate, up-to-date and practical, and suitable for a wide range of readers at different levels. The book covers the whole life cycle, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, older children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable women and children.

The fully revised and updated edition addresses both the long standing problems of undernutrition and malnutrition, and the growing epidemic of overnutrition and obesity, which are responsible for the rapid increase in non-communicable diseases of later life. Generously illustrated, Nutrition for Developing Countries explains in clear simple language, and practical detail, how nutrition workers can help families with nutrition problems, including many ideas for exercises for training nutrition workers.

Felicity Savage King, Senior Lecturer, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK,Ann Burgess, Freelance Nutrition Consultant, Edinburgh, UK,Victoria J. Quinn, Senior Vice President-Programs and Vice President-Nutrition, Helen Keller International, Washington, USA,Akoto K. Osei, Regional Nutrition Adviser, Helen Keller International, Asia Pacific Regional Office, Cambodia

Felicity Savage King graduated in medicine from the University of Oxford in 1964, specialising in child health. From 1966-1972 she was Medical Officer and Researcher in Child Health in Lusaka, Zambia, then from 1972-1977 worked in Surabaya, Indonesia, before going to work in Nyeri, Kenya from 1979-1984. Felicity was a part-time Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, London from 1978 - 2011 and is Founding Director of the Masters level course "Breastfeeding practice and Policy" at the Institute of Child Health from 1991. During 1993-2001 she was a Medical Officer, Department of Child Health for the World Health Organization responsible for breastfeeding training and policy development and contributing to development of WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Felicity has been a member of Steering Committee of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action from 2002, and Chairperson of WABA since 2005.

Ann Burgess graduated in nutrition from the University of London in 1957, and then worked in the Medical Research Unit in Uganda, and with Makerere University, and later with Ministries of Health in Tanzania and Malawi 1958-1971. Ann completed her Masters in Public Health from University of the Philippines in 1975 and was a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in nutrition at Institute of Public Health at the University of Philippines from 1975-78. From 1978-1985 Ann was part-time consultant for FAO, WFP, UNESCO, UNICEF and University of Nairobi in Rome, East Africa, Gambia, and Nigeria. Since 1985 Ann has been a short-term consult for FAO, WHO, UNICEF and various universities and NGOs (including TALC) in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana (lecturing, developing materials) and is editorial advisor South Sudan Medical Journal.


Victoria Quinn graduated with a BSc in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics from University California, Berkeley in 1979 and gained her Masters of Science (honours) in International Nutrition from Cornell University in 1982. Victoria gained her PhD in Nutrition from Wageningen University, The Netherlands in 2005. She worked as Cornell University's Regional Coordinator of Joint Nutritional Surveillance Program with UNICEF in eastern and southern Africa from 1982-1991. From 1994-1998 she was a freelance consultant in nutrition for the World Bank and variety of non-governmental organizations in Africa. Victoria has been the Senior Vice President of Programs at Helen Keller International since 2006 and was appointed Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University in 2007. She was awarded the Chevalier l'Ordre National Malgache by Government of Madagascar in 2004 and currently part of the Steering Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network.

Akoto Osei graduated with a BSc in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Ghana in 2000 then went on to complete a masters in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition (2004), and PhD in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University in 2009. Akoto is currently a nutrition specialist for the African Union Commission and was Asia Pacific Regional Nutrition Adviser for Helen Keller International from 2009-2014. Akoto has also been a consultant for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan in 2008 and for the Micronutrient Initiative and World Food Program in India from 2007-2008. Akoto has published several articles, book chapters, and presented papers at various nutrition conferences.

1. Let's get started, Jennifer N. Nielsen and Victoria J. Quinn
2. Nutrients and how the body uses them, Tendekayi Henry Gadaga and Ann Burgess
3. Macronutrients, water and energy, Tendekayi Henry Gadaga and Ann Burgess
4. Micronutrients, Jessica Blankenship and Louise Sserunjogi
5. Foods, food groups and food paths, Joyce Kinabo, Mawuli Sablah, and Ann Burgess
6. Processing and fortifying foods, Tendekayi Henry Gadaga and Mawuli Sablah
7. Keeping food safe and clean, Tendekayi Henry Gadaga and Daisy R. Nyaga
8. Buying food, nn Burgess and Helena Pachon
9. Feeding the household, Judith Kimiywe, Nicki Connell and Ann Burgess
10. Breastfeeding, Felicity Savage King, Jennifer N. Nielsen and Pooja Pandey Rana
11. Feeding from age six months to five years, Jennifer N. Nielsen, Pooja Pandey Rana and Victoria J. Quinn
12. Good nutrition for school-age children, adolescents and adults, Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia, Judith Kimiywe and Andrew Hall
13. Feeding sick people, especially children, Andrew Tomkins and Frederick Grant
14. Understanding malnutrition, Victoria J. Quinn and Jennifer N. Nielsen
15. Using body measurements to assess nutrition, Frederick Grant and Ann Burgess
16. Malnutrition in young children, Akoto K. Osei, Frederick Grant and Elhadji Issakha Diop
17. Severe acute malnutrition, Frederick Grant, Martin Nankap and Elhadji Issakha Diop
18. Malnutrition in adolescent girls and women, Jillian L. Waid and Ann Burgess
19. Malnutrition in school-age children, adolescent boys, men and old people, Andrew Hall and Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia
20. Vitamin A deficiency, Jessica Blankenship, Nancy J. Haselow, and Shawn K. Baker
21. Iron deficiency and anaemia, Akoto K. Osei and Martin Nankap
22. Iodine, zinc and other micronutrient deficiencies, Jessica Blankenship and Andrew Seal
23. Obesity and other nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, Helene Delisle
24. Diabetes - overview and nutritional management, Chittaranjan Yajnik, and Shilpa Joshi
25. Overview of community nutrition actions, Jennifer N. Nielsen, Martin Nankap and Pooja Pandey Rana
26. Improving household food security, Aminuzzaman Talukder, Frederick Grant and Ann Burgess
27. Improving community nutrition, care and health, Jennifer N. Nielsen and Pooja Pandey Rana
28. Working with communities and households, Charity Dirorimwe, Pooja Pandey Rana and Ann Burgess
29. Helping people learn about nutrition, Jennifer N. Nielsen, Pooja Pandey Rana and Martin Nankap
30. Nutrition in schools, Andrew Hall
31. Training for nutrition, Manisha Thanary
Appendix 1. Recommended energy and nutrient intakes
Appendix 2 Food composition tables
Appendix 3. Sources of selected nutrients
Appendix 4. Basic anthropometric information
Appendix 5. Keeping up-to-date
Appendix 6: Key actions to prevent the double burden of malnutrition