USAID supported a nutrition-focused multidisciplinary research and training effort to address food insecurity and malnutrition in developing countries known as the Feed the Future Food Security Innovation Laboratory: Collaborative Research on Nutrition. Under this program, Tufts and Johns Hopkins University collaborate with Nepali scientists and research organizations on the PoSHAN Study. The partners included Partners: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Tufts University, Nepali Technical Assistance Group (NTAG), New ERA Pvt. Ltd, Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC) and the Johns Hopkins Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project-Sarlahi (NNIPS) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The PoSHAN study had two complementary components: 1. “Process Evaluation”: This component, designed and guided by Tufts University, seeks to understand multi-sector and multi-level planning and implementation processes, and factors that promote or constrain, the effect of integrated approaches for improving women’s and children’s nutrition. 2. “Annual National Panel Surveys and Seasonal Follow-up of Sentinel Site Cohorts”: This component, designed and managed by Johns Hopkins University, establishes annual population-based national, panel surveys in 21 randomly selected wards across the major ecological zones of Nepal (mountains, hills and terai).
Project Period: 2012-2016