ANH2020 (Online)
Conference details
5th Annual Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy Week
#ANH2020
Online, 23 June - 2 July 2020


This year’s interactive, virtual and free Academy Week brought together a community of researchers, practitioners and policymakers from across the world working at the intersection of agriculture, nutrition and health to foster knowledge exchange, innovation and learning, touching on COVID-19's impacts on our shared work.
- ANH2020 Summary Report
- Video resources (found in the interactive programme tab above)
- Poster Hall
- Social Media toolkit
- Meet the ANH2020 team
Explore the tabs on this page for more resources, including the conference programme.
ANH2020 Welcome Message
Suneetha Kadiyala, Principal Investigator, IMMANA Programme and Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine:
Please note: In order to access the conference sessions, you will need to be a member of the ANH Academy. Thankfully it is free and easy to join. All you need to do is create an account on our website: If you already have an account, make sure you are logged in. If you have forgotten your password or username, please request a new password. If this does not work, please email us and we will send you your username and provide you a temporary password: [email protected]. Please take some time to update your ANH Academy member profile so other conference attendees can get in touch.
Thank you!
We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to you all for the encouragement and suggestions we received in pivoting towards a virtual event. With your support and guidance we were motivated and energised to attempt this new format which we hope was useful in collectively moving the needle on virtual conferencing!
Programme
- Learning Labs: 23 - 25 June 2020
- Research Conference: 30 June - 2 July 2020
Unless otherwise noted, all times are in British Summer Time (BST).
Learning Labs
- Tuesday 23 June
- Wednesday 24 June
- Thursday 25 June
Research Conference
- Tuesday 30 June
- Wednesday 01 July
- Thursday 02 July
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Anna Marry, Global Communications Manager, The Brooke Hospital for Animals
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Delia Grace, Co-Lead, Human and Animal Health, International Livestock Research Institute
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Rebecca Doyle, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne
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Robyn Alders, Professor, Australian National University; Senior Fellow, Chatham House
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Klara Saville, Head of Global Animal Health, Welfare and Community Development, The Brooke Hospital for Animals
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Kate Fletcher, Senior Manager, Global Animal Welfare, The Brooke Hospital for Animals
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James Kithuka, Animal Welfare Officer, Brooke East Africa
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Vincent Oloo, Animal Welfare Capacity Building Officer, Brooke East Africa
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Samantha Opere, Veterinary Surgeon/ Head of Region, KENDAT (Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies)
Description and Learning Objectives: Considering livestock agriculture is of paramount importance to agriculture, nutrition and health (ANH) research and its application. Livestock directly contribute to agriculture and nutrition through animal source foods production and have a huge impact on human health (e.g. through food safety) as well as indirectly e.g. through generating income and/ or empowering women. This is true for both production animals such as dairy cows or poultry and working animals such as horses or donkeys that provide water for agriculture and transport agricultural produce.
Animal welfare impacts animal health and productivity, being a critical, yet largely overlooked, aspect of livestock agriculture. This session will explore key concepts and issues in animal welfare in relation to ANH research and practice.
Learning objectives:
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Build understanding of animal welfare and its importance for research ethics
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Introduce the concept of One Welfare and its application
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Introduce tools and metrics used to measure animal welfare
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Highlight the importance of animal welfare to getting published in high impact journals
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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We need to drastically improve animal welfare standards globally to avoid another pandemic: https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/16/need-to-drastically-improve-animal-welfare-standards-globally-avoid-another-pandemic-view
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What is One Welfare? https://www.onewelfareworld.org/
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Milk prices and welfare - comment: https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/8/186.full
Live session: 23 June, 12:30-14:30 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Jennifer Coates, Tufts University
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Beatrice Rogers, Tufts University
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Sarah Wafa, Tufts University
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Brooke Colaiezzi, Tufts University
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Jerome Somé, Tufts University
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Winnie Bell, Tufts University
Description and Learning Objectives: This learning lab will provide participants with an introduction to INDDEX24, an innovative tool designed to facilitate the collection and use of dietary data in low- and middle-income countries. The learning lab will be most appropriate for participants with some prior exposure to dietary assessment. The learning lab is an opportunity to discuss the challenges related to dietary assessment, learn about the key features of INDDEX24, and to learn how INDDEX24 may alleviate some of those challenges.
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Overcoming Dietary Assessment Challenges in Low-Income Countries
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INDDEX24 Learning Lab Participant Survey: If you received a message that you have been allocated to participate in the INDDEX24 learning lab, please fill out this brief survey prior to the learning lab. The estimated completion time is 2 minutes. The survey asks questions about your experience in the area of dietary assessment. This survey is not for research purposes. Results of the survey will be accessed and used only by the learning lab organizers for the purposes of understanding the backgrounds and level of dietary assessment experience of prospective learning lab participants. Responses are anonymous and confidential, and results will only be presented in an aggregate fashion, not traceable to any individual. We would appreciate it if you could complete the survey, but you are not required to complete it in order to participate in the learning lab. Link to survey: https://tufts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVlKBAx0HFuRurb
Live session: 23 June, 15:00-17:00 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Anna Herforth, Ag2Nut
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Will Masters, Tufts University
Description and Learning Objectives: This learning lab will equip participants with skills to use food prices for understanding the cost of nutritious diets. In this session we discuss sources of food price data, and use data from countries in Africa and South Asia to measure trends over time, seasonal fluctuations and spatial differences. We will use prices of diverse foods to compute price indices including the cost of nutrient adequacy and the cost of recommended diets.
Resources from the session:
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Further background materials available via the CANDASA Project website
Live session: 24 June, 12:30-14:30 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Christine Blake, University of South Carolina
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Edward Frongillo, University of South Carolina
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Andrea Warren, University of South Carolina
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Shilpa Constantinides, University of South Carolina
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Chris Turner, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Description and Learning Objectives: Food choice is a process of decision making that informs the selection, acquisition, and consumption of foods from options available in the food environment. Rapid changes in food environments are fostering changes in food choice that have important implications for health and well-being. Understanding how people make food choices in the context of changing food environments is important for program and policy development. Four case studies will be used to frame a discussion about drivers of food choice in low- and middle-income countries and implications for policy and program action will be identified for each case.
Participants will be able to:
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Describe the process of food choice and implications for health and well-being.
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Describe relationships between changing food environments and food choice that have implications for health and well-being
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Identify and describe policy and program actions to promote positive changes in food environments for healthy food choice
Resources from the session:
Live session: 24 June, 15:00-17:00 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Gilles Bergeron, New York Academy of Sciences
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Steve Vosti, University of California Davis
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Edward Joy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
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Elaine Ferguson, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
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Frances Knight, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Description and Learning Objectives: This session will introduce participants to the Nutrition Modeling Consortium, and to some of the tools that consortium members have developed and used to help select, design and manage evidence-based nutrition policies and nutrition intervention programs. Participants will be split into teams, each receiving a policy- or programme-relevant question, e.g., “Should vitamin A supplementation programmes be scaled-back in Nepal?”, or, “to what extent might food fortification cost-effectively address iron-deficiency anemia among women of reproductive age?” The teams will be asked to design a strategy for answering their policy- and programmatic relevant question, using one or a combination of the modelling tools available, with some time spent addressing underlying data needs and the pathways through which new model-based information would flow to reach decision-makers. Teams will present their findings back to the wider group followed by a plenary discussion.
After completing the Learning Lab, participants will be better informed on how to frame their nutrition policy issues, how select the appropriate tool for given types of nutrition policy or programmatic questions / decisions, how to access and use the tools, the tools’ strengths and limitations, and the data inputs and skills required to use them.
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Participants are asked to please complete the following survey no later than Monday 22 June at noon BST: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/57LYRLL
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Recommended readings:
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Supplementary readings:
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Weighing the risks of high intakes of selected micronutrients compared with the risks of deficiencies
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An Economic Optimization Model for Improving the Efficiency of Vitamin A Interventions
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Use of Optimization Modeling for Selecting National Micronutrient Intervention Strategies
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Designing Appropriate Complementary Feeding Recommendations: Tools for Programmatic Action
Live session: 24 June, 15:00-17:00 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Inge Brouwer, Wageningen University & Research
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Anna Herforth, Ag2Nut
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Shauna Downs, School of Public Health, Rutgers University
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Selena Ahmed, Montana State University
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Gina Kennedy, Advancing Nutrition USAID/GAIN
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Elise Talsma, Wageningen University & Research
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Celine Termote, The Alliance CIAT-Bioversity International
Description and Learning Objectives: The food environment represents the range of foods that can be accessed in the context where people live and includes both natural and build environments. Food choices result from an interaction of the food environment and individual-level factors such as familiarity with foods, taste preferences, convenience (time scarcity, food prices), perceived food safety and health-related motives. Food environments are considered healthy when they “enable consumers to make nutritious food choices with the potential to improve diets and reduce the burden of malnutrition.” Shaping food environments to enable healthy food choices, can impact positively on diet quality and nutrition. This session will provide an overview of innovative tools to assess a food environment and allow participants to experiment with some of the tools within a case study.
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Pre-session exercise: Participants are asked to choose a photograph of a food environment, and send them beforehand (before Monday 22nd of June 2020 12 o’clock noon) to [email protected]. Photos could be of participants own food environment, or somewhere they have worked. Please submit your photograph indicating the location (country and city), the food environment type (wild, cultivated, market) as well as one or more elements (availability, affordability, convenience, promotion, quality, sustainability properties) that are highlighted in the food environment photo they choose. The presenters will make a summary presentation of all submissions.
Live session: 25 June, 12:30-14:30 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Tanya Stathers, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich
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Brighton Mvumi, University of Zimbabwe
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Bruno Tran, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich
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Julia de Bruyn, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich
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Aditya Parmar, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich
Description and Learning Objectives: Food loss and waste reduction strengthens food and nutrition security and lowers the environmental impacts of agriculture. Significant quantities of crops grown for food are lost during and after harvest. To effectively reduce these postharvest losses (PHLs), and meet SDG/Malabo targets, we need to understand why, where, and at what scale they are occurring. This session will explore the causes of PHLs, guide participants to use the African Postharvest Losses Information System to quantify and understand the economic and nutritional impact of these losses, reflect on policy and programmatic applications, and share evidence from a recent systematic review of interventions to reduce PHLs.
Following the session participants will be able to:
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Understand why postharvest loss reduction is important
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Describe three causes of postharvest food losses
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Use the African Postharvest Losses Information System (APHLIS www.aphlis.net) to quantify postharvest losses for a range of crops and locations using the following metrics: percentage weight loss, tonnes, nutrients, USD, annual dietary requirements of how many people (including by gender and age group)
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Explore the forthcoming Ceres2030 evidence synthesis and gap map of interventions that smallholder farmers and their associated value chain actors can use to reduce postharvest losses in 22 food crops.
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Please start by completing a few pre-session poll questions. Go to https://www.menti.com/tagmxy48do
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Then please watch this introductory video on postharvest aspects of food systems and causes of postharvest losses (please open the video in Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari – as it seems to struggle in Edge)
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Then spend a little time exploring the African Postharvest Losses Information System (APHLIS) www.aphlis.net. We demonstrate some of the features of APHLIS at the end of the introductory video, and there is an online tutorial here (note it has sub-titles and no audio)
Optional further reading and watching:
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If you are interested in further reading, this short paper raises and discusses a number of issues surrounding postharvest loss
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Postharvest cereal losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, their estimation, assessment and reduction
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The two videos below provide information on a mycotoxin risk warning system and an e-learning system supporting postharvest loss measurement.
Live session: 25 June, 12:30-14:30 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Cynthia Matare, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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Nadia Fanou, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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Joelle Zeitouny, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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Julius Ntwenya, University of Dodoma
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Anthony Jennings, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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Ramani Wijesinha-Bettoni, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Description and Learning Objectives: Nutrition education is an essential component of social and behavior change (SBC) programmes, but nutrition educators responsible for design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SBC programmes rarely receive adequate training in nutrition education. This session introduces participants to the ENACT course, which emphasizes a hands-on approach for training in nutrition education. Similar to how the ENACT course is delivered, participants will reflect on real-world problems and case studies, discuss what works and why, and practice what they have learned. The ENACT course consists of ten units that cover the basic principles and practice of nutrition education, and includes activities designed to explore aspects of real life, discover principles in action and apply what is learned. Participants of this session will have a chance to experience being an ENACT student through interactive tutorials, group discussions and a mini-group project.
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Please fill out this survey prior to the session: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GQMQPXW
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The Education for Effective Nutrition in Action (ENACT) approach (pre-recorded video)
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The Need for Professional Training in Nutrition Education and Communication: Final Report
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Read the following sections
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A note on terminology (pages iv-v)
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Chapter 1: Introduction (pages 1-2)
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Chapter 4: Main findings (pages 11-18)
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Chapter 6: Discussion and Conclusions (pages 21-25)
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Challenges and Issues in Nutrition Education
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Read Chapter 6: Professional Capacity
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ENACT course in nutrition education – unit 1
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Read ONE of the 4 stories and completed Activity 2 before the live session.
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Read Section 2.3 (page 19) and think about responses to the questions that relate to the story you read
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Live session: 25 June, 15:00-17:00 BST
Recording:
Facilitator(s):
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Carol Levin, University of Washington
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Chloe Puett, PhD, Stony Brook University
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Christopher Kemp, PhD University of Washington
Description and Learning Objectives: This learning lab builds on AHN Academy technical brief on Economic Evaluation of Multisectoral Actions for Health and Nutrition. Participants will become familiar with how to apply a new framework for assessing the costs and benefits of agriculture, health and nutrition interventions/programs and learn about the types of economic evidence generated from such analyses. The specific learning objectives will be to: (1) Learn about the ANH Academy framework for economic evaluation of multisectoral actions and its subsequent application as part of the SEEMS-Nutrition Project; (2) Become familiar with a set of planning tools and cost data collection tools for conducting their own cost study; (3) Understand how to integrate cost data collection in on-going impact evaluations; (4) Learn how these combined data can yield cost-efficiency information, cost-effectiveness and benefit cost analysis
Preparatory materials to be reviewed in advance of live session:
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Please fill out this survey prior to the live session
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Economic Evaluation of Multisectoral Actions for Health and Nutrition
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At least one of the below articles:
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Puett, C., Salpéteur, C., Lacroix, E., Zimunya, S. D., Israël, A. D., & Aït-Aïssa, M. (2014). Cost-effectiveness of community vegetable gardens for people living with HIV in Zimbabwe. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 12(1), 11.
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Trenouth, L., Colbourn, T., Fenn, B., Pietzsch, S., Myatt, M., & Puett, C. (2018). The cost of preventing undernutrition: cost, cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of three cash-based interventions on nutrition outcomes in Dadu, Pakistan. Health Policy and Planning, 33(6), 743-754.
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Puett, C., Salpéteur, C., Houngbe, F., Martínez, K., N’Diaye, D. S., & Tonguet-Papucci, A. (2018). Costs and cost-efficiency of a mobile cash transfer to prevent child undernutrition during the lean season in Burkina Faso: a mixed methods analysis from the MAM’Out randomized controlled trial. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 16(1), 13.
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Puett, C., Salpéteur, C., Lacroix, E., Houngbé, F., Aït-Aïssa, M., & Israël, A. D. (2013). Protecting child health and nutrition status with ready-to-use food in addition to food assistance in urban Chad: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 11(1), 27.
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Levin, C. E., Self, J. L., Kedera, E., Wamalwa, M., Hu, J., Grant, F., ... & Low, J. W. (2019). What is the cost of integration? Evidence from an integrated health and agriculture project to improve nutrition outcomes in Western Kenya. Health policy and planning, 34(9), 646-655.
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Optional, but highly recommended.
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Moreland, S. F Shaylen and L Morris. (2019) A Guide to the Fundamentals of Economic Evaluation in Public Health. USAID, Measure Evaluation. Read or skim chapters 2, 5 and 6.
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Optional
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Alderman, H., Behrman, J. R., & Puett, C. (2017). Big numbers about small children: Estimating the economic benefits of addressing undernutrition. The World Bank Research Observer, 32(1), 107-125.
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Puett, C., Sadler, K., Alderman, H., Coates, J., Fiedler, J. L., & Myatt, M. (2013). Cost-effectiveness of the community-based management of severe acute malnutrition by community health workers in southern Bangladesh. Health Policy and Planning, 28(4), 386-399.
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Learning lab post-read or resources:
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General reference documents for best practices and conducting high quality economic evaluations
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iDSi Reference case on economic evaluation Wilkinson, T., Sculpher, M.J., Claxton, K., Revill, P., Briggs, A., Cairns, J.A., Teerawattananon, Y., Asfaw, E., Lopert, R., Culyer, A.J. and Walker, D.G., 2016. The international decision support initiative reference case for economic evaluation: an aid to thought. Value in Health, 19(8), pp.921-928.
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GHCC Reference case on global health costing Vassall, A., Sweeney, S., Kahn, J., Gomez, G., Bollinger, L. and Marseille, E., 2017. Reference Case for Estimating the Costs of Global Health Services and Interventions. Seattle, WA: Global Health Cost Consortium.
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Harvard School of Public Health BCA guidelines Robinson, L.A., Hammitt, J.K., Jamison, D.T. and Walker, D.G., 2019. Conducting Benefit-Cost Analysis in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 10(S1), pp.1-14.
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Selected guidelines developed for a specific topic or implementing organization: examples from nutrition and early childhood development
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Puett, C. (2013) Cost-Effectiveness Guidelines: An Introduction and Overview of Key Concepts for Cost-effectiveness Analysis within ACF. Paris: France: Action Contre le Faim
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Gustafsson-Wright, E. I Boggild-Jones, S. Gardiner. (2017). The Standardized Early Childhood Development Costing Tool (SECT). Washington DC: The Brookings Institute.
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- Exercise - stretching for desk-stressed people!
Aching from too much computer work?! Join Phil James as he leads you through some stretches you can integrate into your daily routine to ease the tension! This will involve stretches you can do at your desk or standing. - Social games
Trivia and other amusements from JackBox Games. All you need as a participant is a Zoom link and a smartphone (for interactive entries). All will be explained at the gathering. Hosted by Parke Wilde and Maureen Yuemeng Li. -
PhD woes and memes
Are you doing a PhD? Have you just survived one? Join peers in sharing experiences and making memories! This social hour is organized by Zachary Gersten (University of Michigan), Elena Martinez (Tufts University), Selorm Ayeduvor (University of Ghana), and Shiva Bhandari (University of South Carolina).

- Health through posture with Ameet Bhakta
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ANH mentoring - drop in consultation with Lauren McIntyre, Helen Harris-Fry, Bharati Kulkarni and Sophiya Dulal
Come and chat about the new ANH Academy mentoring scheme, due to launch later in 2020. Tell us what you’d like from such an initiative and help us design something that works! We’ll be chatting about career journeys from established ANH academics and professionals, questions you would like to see asked, what you would look for in a mentor, how mentoring schemes can be beneficial and your experiences with mentoring.

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- African Nutrition Society (ANS) friends and family with Amos Laar
- IMMANA Fellowships Q&A
Are you interested in learning more about the IMMANA postdoctoral research fellowhip programme? Drop in to this Q&A to have your questions answered and find out if you are eligible to apply! Hosted by Hallie Perlick and Laura Hackl. - Animal (and plant) source fun
Join Thalia Sparling and Lauren McIntyre who will be showing you Thalia's local farm and Lauren's pets. Do you have a pet or animal(s)? Introduce your furry friend(s) to other Academy members. Plants welcome too.

- Exercise - stretching for desk-stressed people!
Aching from too much computer work?! Join Phil James as he leads you through some stretches you can integrate into your daily routine to ease the tension! This will involve stretches you can do at your desk or standing. - Coffee time: Planetary Health pop-up
Drop by for a relaxed chat with Professor Alan Dangour, Director for the Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Alan’s work has spanned the jungles of Amazonia to the committee rooms of UK parliament. Grab a drink and pop by for an informal opportunity to talk about anything and everything related to sustainable food systems and planetary health research! - Lockdown: Trading tips around the world
COVID-19-related restrictions have put pressure on almost everyone around the world. What have you been doing to preserve your wellbeing while confined at home? Have you come across good books, art, music or film? Did you start a new hobby? Gardening, cooking, composting? Drop into this social hangout to share your tips and tricks for lockdown and hear about what others have been doing too! Hosted by Tigist Defabachew and Ankita Mondal.

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Music, drinks and food
Come wind down with us - share music, recipes and experiences. Do you have a musical instrument at home? We'd love to hear you do a bit of strumming, tooting, hitting and any other types of sounds.
FAQ
Welcome to the ANH2020 FAQs page. Have a good look around. If you don't find an answer to your question then please get in touch at [email protected]
Download hub
Welcome to the Download Hub for the 2020 ANH Academy Week. Browse and get involved.
The 2020 ANH Academy Week conference report is now available for download, offering key highlights of the programme.

Gallery
All photos from ANH2020 can be found on the ANH Academy Flickr folder here.