PlumpyField to Host Discussion on Fostering Innovation and Growth In Fight Against Childhood Malnutrition, June 14

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the occasion of the 2011 Global Health Council Conference, the PlumpyField Network, producers of targeted nutritional solutions like Plumpy'nut®, will host a discussion on the need for innovation and political action in the fight for child health and nutrition. Leaders from the PlumpyField Network will discuss how they work to ensure these nutritional products reach children who need them. The event will be Tuesday, June 14, at 11 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St., NW.

Representatives include:

• Adeline Lescanne, deputy general manager, Nutriset; manager, PlumpyField Network
• Navyn Salem, executive director, Edesia, the U.S.-non-profit member of the network
• Dr. Patricia Wolff, executive director, Meds & Foods for Kids, the newest non-profit member based in Haiti

**The three will be available for questions and discussion during the event and throughout the week.

Major themes:

• Food aid must no longer hinge on shipping surplus food commodities from the developed world. PlumpyField encourages increasing production of targeted nutritional products specifically tailored to the needs of affected populations directly in the countries where they are needed.
• Success will require global cooperation and leveraging support from the private sector. This will foster development and provide funds needed for critical research in developing countries.
• Sustainability is only possible by raising awareness, creating political will and obtaining needed financial support. Today, the PlumpyField Network has a production capacity that greatly exceeds funded or programmatic demand. Because of the lack of awareness and lack of funding, the demand for this critical product remains much too low and children who might be saved by these products continue to die needlessly.
• Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs) have played a significant role in targeted interventions and address acute and chronic malnutrition, but there is still need for research and innovation.

The PlumpyField Network is an international network of independent producers of ready-to-use foods, like Plumpy'nut®, used in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition. The network includes 14 partners in countries including Niger, Ethiopia and India. In 2010 and 2011, the network was strengthened with the addition of new members in Tanzania, Haiti, Uganda and Sudan.

As a global leader in the development and production of targeted nutritional products, including Plumpy'nut® and a range of Plumpy® products, the PlumpyField Network includes 14 local entrepreneurs in the food manufacturing sector represented on all continents. In 2010 alone, network members supplied enough RUFs to treat more than one million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and one million children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. Nutriset and the PlumpyField Network are currently invested in more than 60 scientific studies to develop new products targeted to address the entire spectrum of nutritional deficiencies in the developing world.

To arrange an interview, participate in the event or learn more, contact Marie Wisecup, Edesia, 401-272-5521, [email protected] or Kathy Thompson, 703-855-5556, [email protected].

SOURCE Edesia, Inc.