Climate change, conflict and global economic volatility are all contributing to an increased frequency of humanitarian emergencies worldwide. Emergencies put affected populations at a much higher risk of becoming malnourished, and this in turn leads to an increase in disease and death. Yet, malnutrition is not an inevitable consequence of emergencies; effective strategies exist for preventing and treating malnutrition in these settings. Implementing such strategies requires people on the ground who can anticipate and respond to nutritional needs of communities, even when working in demanding and constantly changing environments. It also requires coordinated action by those working in a range of sectors, including health, food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene and logistics.

One of the biggest challenges facing governments, UN agencies and NGOs in their attempts to prevent and treat malnutrition in emergencies is that there are simply not enough people who are trained in nutrition. In response, the Institute for Global Health (part of University College London), the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Thailand, and the University of Makerere in Uganda set up the Nutrition in Emergencies (NIE) regional training project. The objective of this initiative is to boost capacity in NIE, particularly in the regions that are most susceptible to humanitarian emergencies.

Our intensive courses in Nutrition in Emergencies have been designed to help equip participants with the expertise needed to lead or support nutrition responses. They are intended to build the skills of anyone who has an involvement with emergency nutrition, including health and food security staff, and general program managers. In addition to providing the most up-to-date technical theory of NIE, we employ a range of training techniques to help participants to think more practically about what they would need to do to prevent and treat malnutrition during an emergency.

The course materials are based on the NIE Harmonized Training Package (HTP) which has been developed by international experts on behalf of the Global Nutrition Cluster. The HTP is the most up-to-date training resource for emergency nutrition. Courses are run in Lebanon, Uganda and Thailand and are tailored to meet the specific needs of each region.

Each course includes modules on the causes and types of malnutrition as well as the main areas of focus for nutrition professionals in emergency settings:

- Surveys and surveillance
- Therapeutic and supplementary feeding
- Infant and young child feeding in emergencies
- General food distributions
- Micronutrient assessment and intervention
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Humanitarian standards and coordination
- Emergency preparedness

We also support participants to put together a professional development plan to guide their learning and practice following completion of the training. During the 11-day courses, we include additional topics relevant to NIE, such as: working with communities, and advocacy and communication in emergencies.

Course sessions are led by experts in the fields of nutrition and emergency nutrition programming. We aim to have a combination of regional and international experts involved with each course. In addition, we encourage participants to contribute their own experiences to help support the learning of the whole group.

Our courses have been specifically designed to help develop practical skills that will enable participants to support emergency nutrition responses more effectively. We provide the most up-to-date technical information about a wide range of nutrition interventions. Crucially, our courses enable participants to get to know others working in this sector and to know where to go for guidance and technical updates.

We welcome applications from professionals working in the humanitarian and development sector who would like to improve their knowledge and understanding of emergency nutrition. The courses are suitable for nutritionists, health and food security staff but might also be of interest to general emergency program managers, logisticians and even journalists. We will also accept applications from individuals who have no relevant work experience but who have a relevant graduate-level qualification. A firm understanding of spoken and written English is essential.

• Course Package A USD3,555 with accommodation and breakfast
• Course Package B USD2,575 without accommodation and breakfast

Both fees (A & B) cover the tuition fee, daily meeting package with lunch and refreshments, non-refundable registration fee of US$250, training kit and all course materials. Participants are also responsible for all of their travel expenses and incidentals such as medical insurance, laundry, personal phone calls/fax, Internet, and shipping of personal items from the course. Please refer to the Course Application Form for more details.

After you download and fill in the application form, send it to yvonette.d@adpc.net

Dr. Yvonette Duque
Senior Public Health Specialist, Public Health in Emergencies Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Tel: (66-2) 298-0681 ext. 400
Fax: (66-2) 298-0012
E-mail: yvonette.d@adpc.net