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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

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Loty Diop

Loty Diop is a Senior Research Analyst in the Nutrition, Health, and Diets Unit, based in Dakar, Senegal, where she works on projects that tackle food security and acute malnutrition. These projects involve assessing the nutritional status and micronutrient adequacy of the diets of vulnerable populations, as well as conducting in-depth analyses of the food environment.

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Development Strategies and Governance

May Wang

Research Assistant

Bio

May Wang is a Research Assistant with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in Beijing. She mainly supports research and external communication. May is fluent in Japanese and proficient in both English and Mandarin.

Prior to joining IFPRI, May interned at Peace Boat, an international organization based in Tokyo, Japan, the American Red Cross, and at a leading digital healthcare company in Shanghai. Through these internships she has engaged in multilingual client communications and event management, improved her skills in program design and project management, streamlined digital operations and developed new platform strategies.

May holds a bachelor’s in Nutritional Sciences from Auburn University and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Development Strategies and Governance

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns by fine stratum of gestational age and birthweight for 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2017.

2025
Hazel, Elizabeth A; Erchick, Daniel J; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C C; Diaz, Michael; Wu, Lee S F; West, Keith P; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Christian, Parul; Ali, Hasmot
…more Baqui, Abdullah H; Saha, Samir K; Ahmed, Salahuddin; Roy, Arunangshu Dutta; Silveira, Mariângela F; Buffarini, Romina; Shapiro, Roger; Zash, Rebecca; Kolsteren, Patrick; Lachat, Carl; Huybregts, Lieven; Roberfroid, Dominique; Zhu, Zhonghai; Zeng, Lingxia; Gebreyesus, Seifu H; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Gyaase, Stephaney; Poku-Asante, Kwaku; Boamah Kaali, Ellen; Jack, Darby; Ravilla, Thulasiraj; Tielsch, James; Taneja, Sunita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Ashorn, Ulla; Mangani, Charles; Mullany, Luke C; Khatry, Subarna K; Ramokolo, Vundli; Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Wang, Dongqing; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Minja, Daniel; Msemo, Omari Abdul; Lusingu, John P A; Smith, Emily R; Masanja, Honorati; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri; Keentupthai, Paniya; Kakuru, Abel; Kajubi, Richard; Semrau, Katherine; Hamer, Davidson H; Manasyan, Albert; Pry, Jake M; Chasekwa, Bernard; Humphrey, Jean; Black, Robert E
Details

Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns by fine stratum of gestational age and birthweight for 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2017.

Objective We aimed to understand the mortality risks of vulnerable newborns (defined as preterm and/or born weighing smaller or larger compared to a standard population), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Design Descriptive multi-country, secondary analysis of individual-level study data of babies born since 2000. Setting Sixteen subnational, population-based studies from nine LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and Eastern Asia, and Latin America. Population Live birth neonates. Methods We categorically defined five vulnerable newborn types based on size (large- or appropriate- or small-for-gestational age [LGA, AGA, SGA]), and term (T) and preterm (PT): T + LGA, T + SGA, PT + LGA, PT + AGA, and PT + SGA, with T + AGA (reference). A 10-type definition included low birthweight (LBW) and non-LBW, and a four-type definition collapsed AGA/LGA into one category. We performed imputation for missing birthweights in 13 of the studies. Main Outcome Measures Median and interquartile ranges by study for the prevalence, mortality rates and relative mortality risks for the four, six and ten type classification. Results There were 238 143 live births with known neonatal status. Four of the six types had higher mortality risk: T + SGA (median relative risk [RR] 2.8, interquartile range [IQR] 2.0–3.2), PT + LGA (median RR 7.3, IQR 2.3–10.4), PT + AGA (median RR 6.0, IQR 4.4–13.2) and PT + SGA (median RR 10.4, IQR 8.6–13.9). T + SGA, PT + LGA and PT + AGA babies who were LBW, had higher risk compared with non-LBW babies. Conclusions Small and/or preterm babies in LIMCs have a considerably increased mortality risk compared with babies born at term and larger. This classification system may advance the understanding of the social determinants and biomedical risk factors along with improved treatment that is critical for newborn health.

Year published

2025

Authors

Hazel, Elizabeth A; Erchick, Daniel J; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C C; Diaz, Michael; Wu, Lee S F; West, Keith P; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Christian, Parul; Ali, Hasmot; Baqui, Abdullah H; Saha, Samir K; Ahmed, Salahuddin; Roy, Arunangshu Dutta; Silveira, Mariângela F; Buffarini, Romina; Shapiro, Roger; Zash, Rebecca; Kolsteren, Patrick; Lachat, Carl; Huybregts, Lieven; Roberfroid, Dominique; Zhu, Zhonghai; Zeng, Lingxia; Gebreyesus, Seifu H; Tesfamariam, Kokeb; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Gyaase, Stephaney; Poku-Asante, Kwaku; Boamah Kaali, Ellen; Jack, Darby; Ravilla, Thulasiraj; Tielsch, James; Taneja, Sunita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Ashorn, Ulla; Mangani, Charles; Mullany, Luke C; Khatry, Subarna K; Ramokolo, Vundli; Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Wang, Dongqing; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Minja, Daniel; Msemo, Omari Abdul; Lusingu, John P A; Smith, Emily R; Masanja, Honorati; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri; Keentupthai, Paniya; Kakuru, Abel; Kajubi, Richard; Semrau, Katherine; Hamer, Davidson H; Manasyan, Albert; Pry, Jake M; Chasekwa, Bernard; Humphrey, Jean; Black, Robert E

Citation

Hazel, Elizabeth A.; Erchick, Daniel J.; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne C. C.; Huybregts, Lieven; et al. Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns: A descriptive analysis of subnational, population-based birth cohorts for 238 143 live births in low- and middle-income settings from 2000 to 2017. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Article in press. First published online January 16, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17743

Keywords

Southern Africa; Eastern Africa; Latin America; Low Birthweight; Newborn; Preterm Birth; Vulnerability; Obstetrics; Mortality; Low Income Groups

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17743 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries

2025
Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; Nookala, Sudeer Kumar; Subramoney, Vishak; Briggs, Brittany; Ahmed, Imran
…more Argaw, Alemayehu; Ariff, Shabina; Bhandari, Nita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Erchick, Daniel; García-Guerra, Armando; Ghaffarpour, Masoumah; Hanley-Cook, Giles; Huybregts, Lieven; Jehan, Fyezah; Kaseb, Fatemeh; Krebs, Nancy F.; Lachat, Carl; Lama, Tsering Pema; Manandhar, Dharma S.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Muhammad, Ameer; Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Quezada-Sánchez, Amado D.; Roberfroid, Dominique; Saville, Naomi M.; Shafiq, Yasir; Shrestha, Bhim P.; Sonko, Bakary; Soofi, Sajid; Taneja, Sunita; Tielsch, James M.; Toe, Laéticia Céline; Valaei, Naser; Fawzi, Wafaie W.
Details

The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries

Background Understanding the effects of balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplements on gestational weight gain (GWG) and how the effects differ depending on maternal characteristics and the nutritional composition of the supplements will inform the implementation of prenatal BEP interventions. Methods and findings Individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials of prenatal BEP supplements (N = 12,549, with 5,693 in the BEP arm and 6,856 in the comparison arm) in low- and middle-income countries were used. The primary outcomes included GWG adequacy (%) and the estimated total GWG at delivery as continuous outcomes, and severely inadequate (<70% adequacy), inadequate GWG (<90% adequacy), and excessive GWG (>125% adequacy) as binary outcomes; all variables were calculated based on the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Linear and log-binomial models were used to estimate study-specific mean differences or risk ratios (RRs), respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the effects of prenatal BEP on the GWG outcomes. The study-specific estimates were pooled using meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted by individual characteristics. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted for study-level characteristics. Compared to the comparison group, prenatal BEP led to a 6% greater GWG percent adequacy (95% CI: 2.18, 9.56; p = 0.002), a 0.59 kg greater estimated total GWG at delivery (95% CI, 0.12, 1.05; p = 0.014), a 10% lower risk of severely inadequate GWG (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99; p = 0.025), and a 7% lower risk of inadequate GWG (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.97; p = 0.001). The effects of prenatal BEP on GWG outcomes were stronger in studies with a targeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to participants in the intervention arm under specific criteria such as low body mass index or low GWG, compared to studies with an untargeted approach, where BEP supplements were provided to all participants allocated to the intervention arm. Conclusions Prenatal BEP supplements are effective in increasing GWG and reducing the risk of inadequate weight gain during pregnancy. BEP supplementation targeted toward pregnant women with undernutrition may be a promising approach to delivering the supplements.

Year published

2025

Authors

Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; Nookala, Sudeer Kumar; Subramoney, Vishak; Briggs, Brittany; Ahmed, Imran; Argaw, Alemayehu; Ariff, Shabina; Bhandari, Nita; Chowdhury, Ranadip; Erchick, Daniel; García-Guerra, Armando; Ghaffarpour, Masoumah; Hanley-Cook, Giles; Huybregts, Lieven; Jehan, Fyezah; Kaseb, Fatemeh; Krebs, Nancy F.; Lachat, Carl; Lama, Tsering Pema; Manandhar, Dharma S.; McClure, Elizabeth M.; Moore, Sophie E.; Muhammad, Ameer; Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Prentice, Andrew M.; Quezada-Sánchez, Amado D.; Roberfroid, Dominique; Saville, Naomi M.; Shafiq, Yasir; Shrestha, Bhim P.; Sonko, Bakary; Soofi, Sajid; Taneja, Sunita; Tielsch, James M.; Toe, Laéticia Céline; Valaei, Naser; Fawzi, Wafaie W.

Citation

Wang, Dongqing; Partap, Uttara; Liu, Enju; Costa, Janaína Calu; Cliffer, Ilana R.; Wang, Molin; et al. 2025. The effect of prenatal balanced energy and protein supplementation on gestational weight gain: An individual participant data meta-analysis in low- and middle-income countries. PLOS Medicine 22(2): e1004523. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523

Keywords

Body Mass Index; Data; Energy Balance; Perinatal Period; Pregnancy; Weight Gain

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004523 Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

A conceptual framework of living labs for people for sustainable food systems

2023
Habermann, Birgit; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Leñero, Eva Marina-Valencia; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne M.; Woltering, Lennart; Kumar, Praveen; Wang, Xinxin
…more Zhou, Yunyi; Chen, Kevin Z.; Pham, Thuy Thu; Rodríguez, Luz Ángela; Venegas, Martha
Details

A conceptual framework of living labs for people for sustainable food systems

Innovation spaces are often dominated by linear, top-down approaches, with the transfer of technology being seen as the solution to many problems rather than trying to understand which innovation processes people are engaging with themselves. In other words, barriers to progress are typically viewed as issues of technology adoption, not as part of the innovation process itself. This study contributes to changing the paradigm by proposing a living lab approach, which considers innovation as an adaptive process where stakeholders co-produce knowledge and collaborate based on inclusivity and empowerment. Our specific concept for this approach is called a Living Lab for People (LL4P). This conceptual paper outlines a framework to guide the development of a LL4P that remains flexible to be adapted for specific sites. While we seek to identify common denominators, we recognize the necessity for such a framework to remain open enough to be adaptable for varied contexts. Consequently, the framework draws on the living lab literature but tailors existing approaches for sustainable food system transformation and puts people (men, women, and marginalized groups among key food system actors) at the center of innovation processes with a clear intention to address power and social inequity. We draw on specific cases in China, Colombia, Kenya and Vietnam as learning grounds for formulating LL4Ps through locally led innovation processes. Based on our learnings and consultations, we define a LL4P as an inclusive and diverse space for people to advance their socio-technical innovation processes and associated modes of governance within a facilitated organizational structure. The principles of LL4Ps include co-production, gender equality and social inclusion, governance and institutional sustainability to advance existing and novel innovation processes. The practical experiences from applying this framework in the four case studies indicate alternative pathways for transforming the food system toward a sustainable and socially equitable trajectory through the establishment of a LL4P.

Year published

2023

Authors

Habermann, Birgit; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei; Hettiarachchi, Upeksha; Leñero, Eva Marina-Valencia; Falk, Thomas; Rietveld, Anne M.; Woltering, Lennart; Kumar, Praveen; Wang, Xinxin; Zhou, Yunyi; Chen, Kevin Z.; Pham, Thuy Thu; Rodríguez, Luz Ángela; Venegas, Martha

Citation

Habermann, Birgit; Nehring, Ryan; Zhang, Wei; et al. 2023. A conceptual framework of living labs for people for sustainable food systems. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2227. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137077.

Country/Region

China; Colombia; Kenya; Vietnam

Keywords

Africa; Asia; South America; Eastern Asia; Eastern Africa; South-eastern Asia; Food Systems; Sustainability; Innovation; Governance; Social Inclusion; Inclusion

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137077 Source record

Project

Low-Emission Food Systems

Record type

Working Paper

Research

Topics/Countries