| IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria
The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is characterized by the coexistence of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, vitamin and mineral deficiency) along with overweight, obesity or diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), within individuals, households and populations, and across the life-course.
The purpose of the symposium, which is co-organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is to strengthen the understanding of how to address the DBM by sharing recent research findings and country experience with implementing relevant policies and programme interventions. The symposium aims to identify double-duty actions that address both sides of malnutrition through common interventions.
The developmental and economic impacts of the DBM are serious and lasting, with low and middle income countries bearing the greatest burden. The DBM is united by shared drivers and solutions and therefore calls for integrated nutrition action.
Furthermore, new assessment tools regarding the role of stable isotopes in the measurement of malnutrition and in assessing the impact of interventions will be addressed. Finally, the symposium will identify considerations for policies and action plans to support Member States in achieving their defined nutrition commitments within the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
