Novel public–private partnerships to address the double burden of malnutrition

Abstract

Public–private partnerships are an effective way to address the global double burden of malnutrition. While public–private partnerships operate in multiple forms, their leadership usually falls to governments, public health agencies, or nongovernmental organizations, with the private sector taking a subordinate role. The rapid ascent of social media and mass communications worldwide has provided a disruptive technology for new nutrition intervention programs. A new model, provisionally called private–public engagement, takes advantage of social media, mass media, and integrated social marketing to reach parents, families, and communities directly. These new private–public engagement initiatives need to be managed in ways suggested for public–private partnerships by the World Health Organization, especially if the private sector is in the lead. Once the rationale for engagement is defined, there is a need to mobilize resources, establish in-country partnerships and codes of conduct, and provide a plan for monitoring, evaluation, and accountability. Provided here is an example consistent with the private–public engagement approach, ie, the United for Healthier Kids program, which has been aimed at families with children aged less than 12 years. Materials to inspire behavioral change and promote healthier diets and lifestyle were disseminated in a number of countries through both digital and physical channels, often in partnership with local or regional governments. A description of this program, along with strategies to promote transparency and communication among stakeholders, serves to provide guidance for the development of future effective private–public engagements.

Trends in tap and bottled water consumption among children and adults in the United States: analyses of NHANES 2011–16 data

“…While SSB may not be the biggest source of dietary energy for anyone except teenagers, they are the main source of added sugars in the American diet [29]. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-20, along with a number of industry-led initiatives specifically called for making water the beverage of choice [1,30]. Replacing caloric SSB with plain drinking water has become a priority area for interventions in school and public health nutrition [6].…”

Factors influencing delivery of intersectoral actions to address infant stunting in Bogotá, Colombia – a mixed methods case study.

“…Greer and Lillvis argue that obstacles for intersectoral governance are related to coordination and durability, and that solutions lie in enhanced political leadership, bureaucratic change, and indirect strategies such as expanding the range and capacity of people who have access to data, including ordinary citizens (2). In the context of public-private partnerships of varying and separate organizational regulations, achieving appropriate intersectoral and interprofessional collaboration is complex, especially in private-public engagements (3,35). A rst step for ISA resides in information quality and sharing among sectors, which is known as informative ISA (6).…”

Micronutrient Fortification of Commercially Available Biscuits Is Predicted to Have Minimal Impact on Prevalence of Inadequate Micronutrient Intakes: Modeling of National Dietary Data From Cameroon

“…There is considerable interest within the private sector in voluntary fortification of their products with essential micronutrients ( 10 , 11 ). Market-driven voluntary fortification programs could theoretically fill the gaps that are not addressed by large-scale food fortification (LSFF) programs, thus offering an opportunity for food manufacturers to contribute to combating the major global public health problem of micronutrient deficiencies ( 12 ). Voluntary fortification of foods such as breakfast cereals, beverages, milk, and confectionery products, has been shown to increase the intake and status of key micronutrients in many high-income countries ( 13 – 16 ).…”