Current Investigations
MANI II - Mejorando la Alimentación de los Niños en Intibucá
Improving the Feeding of Children in Intibucá, Honduras.
A Shoulder to Shoulder / The Mathile Institute Study
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jeffrey E. Heck, Executive Director of Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc.
MANI II is a yearlong nutrition program focused on decreasing micronutrient deficiencies among children in Honduras. The program includes the distribution of a complementary nutrition supplement and nutritional educational sessions. The impact of the supplement and program on children’s growth, hemoglobin, vitamin and mineral biomarkers, and overall health is assessed on a regular basis throughout the program. The program is being integrated into the existing infrastructures of both Shoulder to Shoulder and the overall community.
MANI II is in six municipalities in the department of Intibucá. The program includes a randomized community trial in one of the six municipalities to test the effectiveness of the complementary nutrition supplement. The overall program will enroll about 3,000 children aged six months to less than five years old. To reach this wide catchment area, the program is implemented by 12 on-the-ground staff; two study coordinators each with a team of five health promoters.
Funding organization: The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition
Time period: July 2010 to December 2011

