- Email enquiries: openstudy@lshtm.ac.uk
The course is supported by the UK Department for International Development. It has been designed to explore the complicated problem of undernutrition, highlight its multi-sectoral causes and identify potential programmatic solutions.
The course is hosted on the School's Open Study platform. Please note that these are self-study sessions and that no tutorial support is provided. The course is free of charge to undertake. Participants are required to register their details to access the course.
A printed and personalised Certificate of Participation can be obtained for a fee of £30. In order to be eligible for a Certificate of Participation, registered participants must complete three core sessions (Sessions 1 to 3) and a minimum of 1 optional session (Sessions 4 to 17). A set of multiple-choice questions can be found at the end of each session. These questions must be answered in order to be eligible to obtain a Certificate of Participation.
Certificates will be produced termly; at the end of January, April, August, November. Postage and delivery may take up to two weeks. Incomplete requests, or requests received after a deadline will be processed during the next certificate production run.
The course
Both acute and chronic undernutrition have significant negative consequences for health. Acute undernutrition leads to increased severity of infections and risk of mortality in childhood. Other more subtle effects of chronic undernutrition translate into long-term functional losses in mental development, ability to learn in childhood, and work productivity in adulthood. However, undernutrition is preventable. A set of direct nutrition-specific interventions has been defined that, if brought to scale, could save millions of lives and contribute to long-term health and development. In addition to this, nutrition-sensitive interventions that address the multi-sectoral causes of undernutrition can have a large impact.
Undernutrition represents an immense challenge to governments, international organizations, health workers and other stakeholders and requires coordination of efforts and financial resources as well as concerted global advocacy. Successfully meeting the Millennium Development Goals will not be possible without sustained and concerted action on undernutrition.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for students and professionals with an interest in undernutrition.