The International Development Coordinating Group is excited to announce the establishment of a new IDCG Nutrition Sub group. The Group will start accepting proposals for reviews from December 2012.
In September 2011, a stakeholder meeting held at the WHO in Geneva called for the establishment of a coordinating group that would address this lack of a central body to synthesize and bring together all of the evidence on nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. In response to this call, and to address the increasing demand for systematic review evidence of nutrition-related interventions from bilateral agencies such as the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the IDCG established a Nutrition sub-group.
The IDCG Nutrition Group will aim to cover the range of sectors, themes and interventions under the general area of ‘nutrition’ and will include sectors, themes and interventions not adequately brought together under existing Campbell and Cochrane Collaboration Groups.
Topics falling under the Nutrition Group will include reviews related to the following nutrition interventions:
- nutrition specific interventions and programs and behaviour change communications interventions aimed at improving nutrition practices and use of nutrition services)
- nutrition sensitive interventions and programs (which include programs that address some of the underlying determinants of nutrition.
- Multi-component and integrated programs including nutrition interventions.
The Group will focus on evidence from populations from low- and middle-income countries, but may include evidence from HIC populations where pertinent.
The IDCG Nutrition Group is headed by Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Chair of the Division of Women and Child Health, the Aga Khan University, Pakistan and current advisory board member of the IDCG. The Group will be based across three academic programs (principally at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan) with close collaboration with the emerging Global Child Health program at Sick Kids, Toronto and University of Ottawa. The Nutrition Group will start accepting proposals for reviews in December 2012.
The Nutrition Group will operate under the Campbell Collaboration’s principles and governing plan, and follow the IDCG governance framework and procedures. All major decisions regarding the Nutrition Group will be taken by its independent Advisory Board in consultation with Campbell Collaboration leadership.
All regular decisions regarding the Nutrition Group will be taken by the editorial board which may also set up an independent advisory group. Final decisions of a major nature will be undertaken by the IDCG Board in consultation with the Campbell Collaboration leadership.
The process of reviewing titles, protocols and reviews will involve the editorial team of the Nutrition Group, two subject specialist external reviewers, and one systematic review specialist (usually from the Campbell Methods Group). In addition, all titles, protocols and reviews must be signed off by the IDCG editorial team before publication in the Campbell library.