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Malnutrition is devastating. In West and Central Africa, one million child deaths each year are associated to malnutrition. Tackling child malnutrition requires to protect, promote and support optimal infant and young child feeding practices.

These photos, taken in June 2011, show the Provide Clinic in the settlement of Korogochi, in Kenya. The clinic is a UNICEF-supported health centre providing care and treatment for local women and children. Living in Korogocho is tough. Over 200,000 people live within one square kilometre, squeezed in together with poor water and sanitation facilities. Households in Korogocho spend most of their incomes on staple foods. Because of rising food prices, families cope by reducing the size and frequency of their meals. As a result, severe malnutrition is a problem.

Published on Jun 22, 2012 In Mauritania, as elsewhere in the Sahel, drought has led to terrible food shortages and malnutrition is threatening the lives of thousands of children. Luckily, mothers can bring their children to UNICEF-supported treatment centers. Deida is typical of the mothers who arrive. "All of the families are suffering, " she says. " Her son, Ahmed Salim, is almost a year old, but weighs just 11 pounds. Rougui's two-year-old son, Idy, regained his health after treatment at the center, but the family's struggle to survive continues. UNICEF is providing micronutrient-enriched food and milk and is ahelping health-care workers keep track of children's development. But as long as the crisis continues, families will continue to need help.

Micronutrient Day at Binh Thanh Trung health centre draws more than 700 children. This morning Thuy is screened for malnutrition and gets a Vitamin A dose that will protect her from illnesses such as diarrhea and measles.

Nutrition in 2 minutes - the challenge of breaking the cycle of hunger is providing food at the right time. The physical and mental impact of malnutrition for under two year olds can be irreversible.

Nutrition in 2 minutes - the challenge of breaking the cycle of hunger is providing food at the right time. The physical and mental impact of malnutrition for under two year olds can be irreversible.

There are 870 million undernourished people in the world today. That means one in eight people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life. Hunger and malnutrition are in fact the number one risk to the health worldwide - greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Some nice photos of what theraputic foods look like and UNICEF interventions.

Curriculum from UNICEF UK. See photos and case studies on pages 22-33.

Do you know when this was published? Some of the information seems quite dated.

It was published in 2005, so I'm sure much of the content is outdated. I think the photos and case studies at the end may still be useful, though. Those stories highlight the causes of malnutrition (drought, poverty, polluted water, war, etc.) and the impact on children and families. All of that is still timely. So you could potentially adapt the stories to edit out any dated material and to be age-appropriate. Of course we would have to get permission from UNICEF UK, but it's a possibility if these case studies fit well into the unit.

NY Times photo essay from the book "Hungry Planet"; not a UNICEF resource, but these compelling photos - which depict what families in different parts of the world subsist on - could make for a fascinating activity in a lesson plan.

Synopsis: 13 year old Nirmala is an orphan in Nepal who is taking care of her siblings and dreams of getting an education, but she is not able to both attend school and feed her family/keep them from hunger.

Understanding world hunger

Harvey Croze, Africa for Kids: Exploring a Vibrant Continent, 19 Activities (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2006). Age Level: 9 and up Publisher Description: Africa is brought to life in this imaginative look at the plants, animals, and people that make it such a fascinating continent. Studies of both traditional tribes and modern African cities showcase Africa's diversity, and authentic activities allow kids to dive into the rich culture by making a Maasai bivouac shelter, writing a fable in the African style, working as a field biologist, making a ritual elephant mask, and learning to tie an African Kanga dress. This cross-cultural study also shows kids what challenges Africa faces today while giving them a look at what it is like to live on this interesting continent.

My name is Ikashe. I'm from southern Ethiopia and last week I traveled with my eleven month old son Mare to the local health center in Yirba. He is severely malnourished. We live in a very dry part of the country and many other mothers from this region bring their children to the center every week. My family lives off a small plot of land. I grow maize and root crops such as sweet potato. In 2008, we hardly grew anything. Since then, we've been depending on food aid to feed our family.

A project targets women and young children in an effort to move Burkina Faso towards nutritional independence.