Abstract:
The bidirectional interaction between undernutrition and infection can be devastating to child health. Nutritional deficiencies impair immunity and increase susceptibility to infection. Simultaneously, infections compound undernutrition by increasing metabolic demand, and impairing nutrient absorption. Treatment of acute malnutrition (wasting) can reverse some of its deleterious effects and reduce susceptibility to infectious diseases. Nutrition-specific approaches may be packaged with other interventions, including immunization, to support overall child health. To understand how mass nutritional supplementation, treatment of wasting, and vaccination affect the dynamics of a vaccine-preventable infection, we developed a population-level, compartmental model of measles transmission stratified by age and nutrition status. We simulate a range of scenarios to assess the potential reductions in measles infection and mortality associated with targeted therapeutic feeding for children who are wasted and with a mass supplementation intervention.
From Navideh: "I am a senior research scientist at the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM), at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I use diverse computational and statistical techniques to understand and to realize the full potential/impact of Nutrition, and MNCH interventions by generating strong evidence base. I hold a PhD in Forest Hydrology from Auburn University, Auburn, AL, and a MSc in Civil Engineering-Water Resource Engineering from University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
