COVID-19 and Nutrition Analytical Framework: Multi-sectoral impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition outcomes: An analytical framework

Report on the multisectoral analytical framework by WHO, UNICEF, and USAID which lays out the multisectoral impacts of COVID-19 and nutrition by grouping various factors relevant to the intersection between COVID-19 pandemic and nutrition into different categories and sub-categories. The five overarching categories are enabling determinants, underlying determinants, immediate determinants, outcomes, and impact. Each of the three categories of determinants has a different sub-category of critical factors: context, system and behavioural and nutritional status. Enabling determinants are the environmental context, the COVID pandemic, governance, resource, and socio-cultural context. Underlying determinants include the food, health, social protection, education, and water and sanitation systems. The immediate determinants comprise breastfeeding practices, mother infant dyad, food handling, physical activity, dietary intake, food security, maternal nutrition, nutrient absorption, mental wellbeing, and the immune system. The outcomes are breastfeeding, stunting, wasting, low birthweight, anemia, and overweight. Eventually, the impact is mortality, morbidity, and human capital. The report gives examples of impact pathways for all six outcomes. The framework recognizes the overall environmental context and the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19 pandemic. The framework also acknowledges the cross-cutting causes and consequences of deepening inequality on the intersection of COVID-19 and nutrition. The straightforward structure and content of the analytical framework makes it a powerful and adaptable tool for users interested in exploring the linkages between the COVID-19 pandemic and nutrition, with broad applicability in different contexts. It provides policymakers and programme staff with the ability to identify and understand the many different pathways and scenarios where COVID-19 and nutrition intersect. Its versatility and flexibility also enable planners and evaluators to assess and adapt existing policies and programmes as well as consider future options and opportunities. A parallel component of this work is the ability of modellers to explore the implications of different decisions, actions and/or factors on the overall framework and/or specific pathways or scenarios. In addition, data experts can use the framework to identify where meaningful data exist and where they need to be collected and analysed to improve decision-making and programme implementation.The ultimate value of the framework is its ability to provide a systemic but flexible approach to frame and manage future pandemics and shocks by learning how countries – individually and collectively – responded to the multiple crises linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and nutrition.