Data-informed timing of assessments and interventions to prevent undernutrition among infants under 6 months with neurodevelopmental impairment in Africa: challenges and opportunities.

<ns3:p>Undernutrition among infants below six months of age with neurodevelopmental impairment in Africa is common. This is due to multiple interconnected factors including poor feeding practices, poverty, and very limited access to health care services. Evidence shows that inadequate nutrition and growth in the first six months is associated with adverse growth, nutrition and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood with negative consequences for longer term health and wellbeing. However, weak routine clinical and public health data systems across Africa render it extremely difficult to track and determine the timing of growth faltering in these vulnerable infants, to inform the design and implementation of prevention strategies. This Open Letter advocates for investment in optimally integrated community and health facility electronic health records, better data handling, and partnership with healthcare providers, policymakers, and data science hubs to strengthen routine clinical and public health data systems for child health to enhance data-informed strategies to optimise the nutrition and growth of infants under 6 months with neurodevelopmental impairment.</ns3:p>