Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40421122›Full record

ReviewThe Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia2025

Policies and programmes to improve preconception nutrition in South Asia.

Avishek Hazra, Tashi Choedon, Monica Shrivastav, Raj Kumar Verma, Cheshta Gulati, Dhammica Rowel, Abner Daniel, Preetu Mishra, Naveen Paudyal, Naureen Arshad and 17 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Optimizing pre-conception care in South Asia.The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

Avishek HazraPopulation Council Consulting, New Delhi, India.
Tashi ChoedonPopulation Council Consulting, New Delhi, India.
Monica ShrivastavPopulation Council Consulting, New Delhi, India.
Raj Kumar VermaPopulation Council, New Delhi, India.
Cheshta GulatiPopulation Council Consulting, New Delhi, India.
Dhammica RowelUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Sri Lanka.
Abner DanielUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Sri Lanka.
Preetu MishraUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), India.
Naveen PaudyalUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Nepal.
Naureen ArshadUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan.
Muhammad SalmanUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan.
Wisal KhanUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan.
Khadija Khalif Osman WarfaUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Afghanistan.
Muhammad AminUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Afghanistan.
Ahmadwali AmineeUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Afghanistan.
Ireen Akhter ChowdhuryUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Bangladesh.
Kinley DorjiUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Bhutan.
Indrani ChakmaUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Bhutan.
Aishath Shahula AhmedUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Maldives.
Hari Prasad PokhrelDepartment of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Bhutan.
Danielle SchoenakerSchool of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Jane HirstThe George Institute for Global Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
Ranadip ChowdhurySociety for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
Naomi M SavilleInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Faith MillerInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Zivai MuriraUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Vani SethiUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The health and health behaviours of women before conception significantly influence maternal and child health outcomes. Despite growing evidence supporting preconception nutrition care, data on the implementation of related policies and programmes remains limited. This paper reviews public policies and programmes delivering preconception nutrition interventions in eight South Asian countries, targeting married pre-pregnant women aged 15-49 years and identifies the systems bottlenecks in programme implementation. Most countries, except Sri Lanka, lack universal programmes for health and nutrition screening, provision of essential micronutrients, counselling on healthy eating and treatment for at-risk women. Even in countries, where supportive policies exist, implementation of comprehensive nutrition services for pre-pregnant women faces significant bottlenecks across six health system building blocks. Addressing these barriers is critical to improving intervention effectiveness, programme implementation, and informed decision-making. Further testing of a proposed comprehensive algorithm for preconception nutrition in diverse country contexts across South Asia is necessary.

Indexed as

Policies and programsPreconception carePreconception nutritionSouth AsiaWomen's nutritional care and support

Identifiers

PMID40421122
PMCPMC12105511

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.