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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kinya Kaibung’a

Kinya Kaibung’a is a Research Officer with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has a keen interest in leveraging machine learning, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to boost climate resilience and food security in smart agriculture systems.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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TOPIC

Health

Having access to nutritious, affordable, and safe food is critical for individuals to reach their physical and cognitive potential, maintain their health, and ensure economic productivity. Since agriculture, nutrition, diet, and health are intrinsically linked, IFPRI’s health research covers a range of issues, including antimicrobial resistance, agriculture-associated, infectious, and noncommunicable diseases, food safety, intimate partner violence, malnutrition, and maternal and child health, as well as social protection, agriculture, health, and education programs and policies for reducing poverty and enhancing nutrition, health, and education outcomes.

IFPRI’s research on this topic is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 and SDG 3.

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topics

Publications

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Journal Article

Changes in height-for-age of Egyptian children from 1995 to 2014: Implications for improving child health outcomes

2026Hashad, Reem; Hassan, Zeinab A.
Details

Changes in height-for-age of Egyptian children from 1995 to 2014: Implications for improving child health outcomes

Background Stunting is a serious health problem in Egypt. Stunting rates and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) distributions changed notably in Egypt over time, yet the factors that led to these changes remain unknown. This study examines the factors associated with these changes and provides important considerations for designing interventions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Methods Leveraging data from Egypt’s Demographic and Health Survey for the years 1995, 2003, and 2014, we employ a Recentered Influence Function (RIF) approach that goes beyond the conventional way of measuring stunting as a binary indicator to examine changes across the entire HAZ distribution. The RIF decomposes changes in the HAZ distribution over time into differences attributable to changes in the levels of the determinants of nutrition (covariate effects) and in the strength of the association between these determinants and HAZ (coefficient effects). Results The stylized facts show a puzzling increase in stunting rates despite improvements in the level of the determinants of nutrition. Our RIF results attribute the change in stunting rates and other parts of the HAZ distribution primarily to changes in the association between the determinants of nutrition and HAZ (coefficient effects) rather than in the level of the determinants (covariate effects). The results also show that the determinants of nutrition could have heterogeneous impacts at different quantiles of the HAZ distribution. Conclusion To reduce stunting rates and achieve the SDG of ending malnutrition, our findings highlight the need for targeted interventions. Interventions should be geographically targeted, promote gender and income equality, improve maternal nutrition, and expand access to better sanitation facilities. This is in addition to wealth redistribution and reforming Egypt’s subsidy program to focus on nutritious food.

Year published

2026

Authors

Hashad, Reem; Hassan, Zeinab A.

Citation

Hashad, Reem; and Hassan, Zeinab A. 2026. Changes in height-for-age of Egyptian children from 1995 to 2014: Implications for improving child health outcomes. BMC Public Health 26(1): 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25696-4

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Children; Child Health; Anthropometry; Child Stunting

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25696-4 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme

2026Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei
Details

After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme

As the concept of soil health gains prominence, it becomes increasingly important to examine how states design and implement soil health policies. Does soil health offer a novel pathway to enact and legitimize institutional changes toward more sustainable farming systems, or does it risk becoming another neologism that preserves status quo, productivist agriculture? We explore these questions through an analysis of one of the most ambitious state-led initiatives organized around soil health: India’s Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme. The SHC scheme seeks to provide every farmer in the country with bi-annual soil test reports, based on the assumption that improved information will encourage more judicious use of fertilizers and pesticides. The assumption reflects a broader emphasis within the agricultural sciences on the importance of quantifying soil health. Drawing on government documents and farmer perception studies (n = 38), we find that although farmers view the cards positively, they make few substantive changes to their farming practices. As an illustrative case, India’s grand SHC scheme shows that quantification alone is insufficient and could even dampen momentum for transformative policy reforms. Effective and durable change lies in pairing efforts to quantify soil health with (a) plural epistemic approaches to knowledge production, (b) participatory models for knowledge dissemination, and (c) structural reforms in the agri-food system that address issues around land tenure and subsidies.

Year published

2026

Authors

Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei

Citation

Ghosh, Ritwick; Nehring, Ryan; and Zhang, Wei. 2026. After quantification: Insights from India’s Soil Health Card scheme. Land Use Policy 169(October 2026): 108147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108147

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Project Evaluation; Soil Health; Agricultural Policies; Environmental Policies; Sustainable Agriculture; Governance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108147 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Barriers and factors associated with treatment coverage of severe acute malnutrition among children 6–59 months in agrarian and pastoralist areas of Ethiopia

2026Biru, Bayise; Huybregts, Lieven; Tamiru, Dessalegn; Areb, Mohammed; Haddis, Alemayehu; Fall, Talla; Touré, Mariama; Belachew, Tefera
Details

Barriers and factors associated with treatment coverage of severe acute malnutrition among children 6–59 months in agrarian and pastoralist areas of Ethiopia

Severe acute malnutrition remains a major public health concern, yet a large proportion of affected children do not receive appropriate treatment. Understanding the barriers and associated factors is essential for informing targeted, context‐specific interventions. A door‐to‐door screening campaign among children aged 6–59 months was conducted from May to September 2024 in Kersa (agrarian) and Jeldessa (pastoralist) woredas of Ethiopia. The treatment coverage of severe acute malnutrition was 12.8% (95% CI: 9.0%–17.9%). The most frequently reported barriers to treatment included lack of awareness of the child’s nutritional status, time and financial constraints, and absence of family permission. Multivariable analysis revealed that household wealth index (aPR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.5–5.5), use of water treatment methods (aPR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.7–11.9), recent community MUAC screening (aPR: 12.0; 95% CI: 5.4–26.8), availability of treatment services at a nearby health post (aPR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.1–9.9), and possession of a vaccination card (aPR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.1–9.1) were significantly associated with severe acute malnutrition treatment coverage. The findings highlight that severe acute malnutrition treatment coverage in both pastoralist and agrarian settings of Ethiopia remains critically low. Stronger implementation of active screening and treatment services recommended by Ethiopian national guidelines, together with social protection measures for the poorest households, may improve treatment coverage.

Year published

2026

Authors

Biru, Bayise; Huybregts, Lieven; Tamiru, Dessalegn; Areb, Mohammed; Haddis, Alemayehu; Fall, Talla; Touré, Mariama; Belachew, Tefera

Citation

Biru, Bayise; Huybregts, Lieven; Tamiru, Dessalegn; Areb, Mohammed; Haddis, Alemayehu; et al. 2026. Barriers and factorsassociated with treatment coverage of severe acute malnutrition among children 6–59 months in agrarian and pastoralist areas of Ethiopia. Maternal and Child Nutrition 22(3): e70219. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.70219

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Malnutrition; Children; Agrarian Structure; Pastoral Society; Rural Areas; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.70219 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Half a day’s pay for a healthy household diet in Papua New Guinea
Research Post
 | 
July 21, 2026

Half a day’s pay for a healthy household diet in Papua New Guinea

By Emily Schmidt, Kristi Mahrt, and Helmtrude Sikas-Iha

Urban households face nutrition risks.

Urban living linked to slightly healthier diets but also higher overweight and obesity among adolescents in Viet Nam
Research Post
 | 
July 17, 2026

Urban living linked to slightly healthier diets but also higher overweight and obesity among adolescents in Viet Nam

By Phuong Nguyen, Kim Maasen, Elise Talsma, Rock Zagré, Soyra Gune, Lan Mai Tran, Mai Tuyet Truong, Nga Thu Hoang, Ngoc Ho Thi Vuong, Gabriela Fretes, Inge D. Brouwer, Marie Ruel, and Jef L. Leroy

A study shows a complex reality.

When climate shocks reduce harvests, children pay the price: Evidence from Nigeria
Research Post
 | 
June 05, 2026

When climate shocks reduce harvests, children pay the price: Evidence from Nigeria

By Mulubrhan Amare and Bedru Balana

The pathway from climate change to child nutrition and health.

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Events

IFPRI @ Micronutrient Forum: 7th Global Conference
IFPRI at External Event

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September 28 to October 1, 2026

IFPRI @ Micronutrient Forum: 7th Global Conference

Micronutrient deficiencies are one of the world’s most widespread health crises, impacting one in two children and two in three women globally. Inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals can have lasting consequences on survival, health, and well-being that echo across generations and limit economic growth. As climate change and other crises disrupt food systems […]

IFPRI @ NUTRITION 2026 – American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting
IFPRI at External Event

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July 25 to 28, 2026

IFPRI @ NUTRITION 2026 – American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting

Poor diets are a leading driver of chronic disease and premature death worldwide, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and other conditions that strain health systems and economies. Rigorous nutrition science is critical to understanding these challenges and informing the policies and interventions needed to achieve healthier diets. NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, […]

IFPRI @ 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis
IFPRI at External Event

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June 17 to 19, 2026

IFPRI @ 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis

The 29th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis will promote the exchange of ideas among economists conducting quantitative analysis of global economic issues. The conference will feature specially organized and contributed paper breakout sessions. The organized sessions have been developed by members of the GTAP Network to highlight a specific area of research and/or policy […]

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News

April 08, 2026 | Press Release

Integrating nutrient supplements and WASH into agriculture programs improves child micronutrient status in Burkina Faso

New IFPRI-led research finds that adding nutrient supplements and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions into gender-sensitive agriculture programs can significantly improve young children’s iron and vitamin A status, especially when support starts at 6 months of age and covers the whole complementary feeding period until 23 months of age.

July 31, 2025 | Press Release

New study finds behavior change communication and nutrition supplements can help prevent relapse from child wasting

The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, used longitudinal data from two cluster-randomized trials in Burkina Faso and Mali, the PROMIS project.

February 04, 2025 | Press Release

Solving global hunger: New report highlights school meal programs as drivers of change

School meal programs don’t just ensure children go to school and stay fed — they are a powerful force for change in communities and food systems worldwide. According to the results of the latest Global Survey of School Meal Programs© conducted by Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), school meal programs can increase demand for nutritious […]

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Projects

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

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Strengthening the Economic Evaluation of Strategies for Nutrition (SEEMS-Nutrition)

Strengthening the Economic Evaluation of Strategies for Nutrition (SEEMS-Nutrition)

SEEMS-Nutrition supports the scaling up of future solutions to enhance and sustain nutritious food systems in a rapidly evolving environment of decreasing child and maternal……

Titukulane Project

Titukulane Project

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Stories of Change in Nutrition

Stories of Change in Nutrition

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Our experts

Deanna Olney

Deanna Olney

Director, Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH), Nutrition,
Diets, and Health

Kwaw Andam

Kwaw Andam

Country Program Leader / Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Manuel Hernandez

Manuel Hernandez

Senior Research Fellow, Markets,
Trade, and Institutions, Latin America and the Caribbean

Razin Kabir

Razin Kabir

Senior Program Manager, Poverty,
Gender, and Inclusion