Asia Regional Meeting on
Guidance on Implementing Effective Programs to Prevent Calcium Deficiency and Anemia to Improve Maternal and Newborn Outcomes 3 May 2012
Meeting Objectives:
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To present and discuss global scientific evidence on the impact of calcium supplementation and anemia control interventions in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and other poor health outcomes.
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To review and discuss country programmatic experiences and progress in implementing integrated maternal anemia control programs, with a focus on iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation.
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To review existing programs and give guidance on implementing maternal calcium supplementation programs, building on the experience with anemia control programs.
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To identify next steps for introducing and/or scaling up calcium supplementation and anemia control programs.
DAY 1 MORNING 9:00–9:10
Opening Statement – Welcome, Objectives of the Meeting, and Introductions
Panel 1: Calcium and Anemia: Prevalence, Burden of Disease, and Programmatic Considerations 9:10–9:30
Overview – Burden of Calcium Deficiencies and Anemia in Asia and Middle East and Evidence for Their Impact on Maternal and Neonatal Mortality
9:30–9:50
Decision Trees for Anemia Control and Calcium Supplementation
9:50–10:10
Country Examples on Gaps and Facilitating Factors for Calcium Supplementation (use of the scale-up map tool)
10:10–10:25
Discussion
10:25–10:40
Tea Break
Panel 2: Making Anemia Control Programs Effective: What Have We Learned? How Anemia Control Can Inform Calcium Supplementation 10:40–11:00
Demand-Side Considerations
11:00–11:20
Supply-Side Considerations
11:20–11:40
Country Presentation: IFA Supplementation through Community Workers in Nepal
11:40–12:00
Discussion (Moderator: Tina Sanghvi, Alive and Thrive)
12:00–13:00
Lunch
AFTERNOON 13:00–13:30
Presentation: Review of Making Maternal Calcium Supplementation and Anemia Control Programs Effective
13:30–15:00
Small Groups to Develop Calcium and Anemia Scale-Up Maps
15:00–15:15
Tea Break
15:15–16:30
Presentations on Scale-Up Maps from Group Work
16:30–17:00
Wrap-Up: Next Steps for Program Implementation and for Measuring/Tracking Success