Multisector Intervention to Accelerate Reductions in Child Stunting: An Observational Study from 9 Sub-African Countries

This study was a prospective observational trial, conducted in 9 sub-Saharan African countries to examine changes in childhood stunting and its determinants after 3years of exposure to an integrated, multi-sector intervention and compared these changes to national trends. Baseline levels of childhood stunting was 20%. 2-year old children from villages were enrolled in the study. Outcome measured included principal determinants of undernutrition and childhood stunting. Three years after the start of the program in 2005-2006, consistent improvements were observed in household food security and diet diversity, and coverage with child care and disease control interventions improved for most outcomes. These findings provide encouraging evidence that a package of multi-sector interventions has the potential to produce reductions in childhood stunting.