Series consists of nutrition sector country files maintained by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Team (HDNHE) and predecessors beginning from the Population and Nutrition Projects Department formed in 1972. Country files were predominantly created between 1973 and 2000 and contain external reports, publications, and internal memoranda between HDNHE staff and country offices regarding the status of the health and nutrition sector of member countries. There are also a small number of items within the files that were externally produced between 1963 and 1968 and used as reference by HDNHE staff.
Records in this series were maintained in continuity during the period when the nutrition unit was situated under two different sector departments. The Nutrition Unit (PNPD2) was created under the Population Projects Department in July 1972 (later renamed Population and Nutrition Projects Department). Nutrition functions were then transferred to the Agriculture and Rural Development Department (AGRNU) in November 1975 until the Population, Health and Nutrition Department (PHN) was established in October 1979.
Records in the series were created and maintained by various staff including: Dr. Alan D. Berg (deputy director, Nutrition Unit, PNPD2, 1972 - 1975, then Senior Nutrition Advisor 1975 -1992 in AGRDR, later PHNDR and PHRDR); Dr. Judith S. McGuire (nutritionist, PHRHN 1988 - 1993, then senior nutrition advisor); Joy Miller Del Rosso (nutrition consultant, PHRHN later Human Development Department, between 1992- 1996); and others.
Most of the country files represent low-and lower-middle- income countries, however, Sweden and the United States are also represented in the files in the form of background reference reports. The Sweden file contains an article and report on diet in Sweden and Scandanavia. Among the earliest nutrition sector country files with material from the 1960s and early 1970s are Singapore, Sweden, Mauritius, Malaysia, Tunisia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Gabon, Kenya, Korea, and Pakistan. There are also files concerning nutrition in the former Soviet Union (1993 - 1997). Several of the nutrition sector files specifically relate to Venezuela and are titled constraint assessment (1988 - 1998), food policy study (1996 - 1999), and nutrition education component (1996 - 1997). Other topics represented within the series include, but are not limited to: breastfeeding, child nutrition, malnutrition, micronutrients, and food policy.
A small number of the nutrition sector country filescontain project-related correspondence and the department's missions and preliminary reports. These include the Nutrition Research and Development Project for Brazil approved in 1976 and the India Tamil Nadu Nutrition Project approved in 1980. The India file reflects early discussions and project planning from 1974. The Brazil and India projects where two of only four standalone nutrition projects approved by the Bank between 1976 and 1981.
Other records in the series include: internal memoranda regarding unit comments on Research Project Outputs (RPOs); mission travel and mission findings to examine proposed nutrition components of projects, and other nutrition sector work; sector issue reports including drafts; Initial Executive Project Summaries (IESPs) on countries distributed from the regional division chief; back-to-office reports, some authored by country departments; consultant's reports; external reports, brochures and booklets; external mission reports and drafts or final versions of concept papers authored by United Nations agencies, government ministries, international organizations or by individuals from academic and research institutes; and journal articles. One report in is Portuguese.
Several files contain only external reference material related to the country's nutrition sector.
