Events

Globally, many countries continue to grapple with the burdens of malnutrition and disease, including undernutrition, infectious diseases, multiple micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases. These challenges can coexist at various levels of economic development and even within the same individual's life course. To tackle these issues, the IAEA has been a driving force in the support of the use of stable isotope and nuclear techniques, significantly improving the accuracy and precision of nutritional assessments. These techniques continue to play a pivotal role in better understanding nutrition outcomes to help shape nutrition practices and policies in countries. To further strengthen IAEA’s support, a Technical Meeting on ‘The Role of Nuclear Techniques to Tackle Nutritional Challenges in the 21st Century’ was organized by the IAEA from 10-13 October 2023, of which the agenda, concept note and recordings are presented on this page.

There are complex interactions between food systems, climate change and diet quality. Climate change reduces food yield and production, and leads to changes in crop nutrient composition and nutrient bioavailability and to accumulation of carbohydrates in crops which can contribute to overweight and obesity. Nuclear techniques provide an opportunity to assess multiple parts of the food systems, including functional outcomes such as body composition and total energy expenditure, in addition to nutrient absorption. This page presents materials including the meeting report and the presentations related to a virtual Technical Meeting on ‘Leveraging of Stable isotope Techniques in Evaluating Food-based Approaches to Improve Diet Quality’, organized and hosted by the IAEA from 19-23 October 2020.

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is characterised by co-existence of undernutrition (mainly as stunting), overweight and obesity and develops gradually from early life. This page presents materials including presentations, photos, posters, abstracts, related stories as well as resources such as the symposium report, a brochure and the proceedings on the DBM during an International Symposium (2018) and a preparatory workshop (2017). 

Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) is caused by subclinical infection due to enteric pathogens that thrive in conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene; it is associated with stunting in children in low- and middle-income countries. This page presents materials including presentations, photos, abstracts, related stories as well as resources such as the meeting reports related to two Technical Meetings on EED. 

Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects many children in low- and middle-income countries and is associated with high risk of morbidity, mortality and later disease. This page presents materials including presentations, photos, abstracts, related stories as well as resources such as the symposium report and the proceedings related to the International Symposium on Understanding Moderate Malnutrition in Children for Effective Interventions hosted by the IAEA from 27-29 May 2014.