Nutritional indices as measures of social development

8.11. All the types of indicators discussed can be useful as long as their limitations are appreciated. They can be used for the obvious direct purpose of assessing the effect of interventions on nutrition and health, but also as indirect indicators of social development. An example of the latter use is a large-scale integrated rural development programme currently being funded by the British government in Nepal, in which there are inputs from agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, irrigation, and education as well a health. The concept of using nutritional status indicators for this purpose has been accepted enthusiastically.

To maintain this enthusiasm, however, and to provide the governments of both nations with meaningful information, it will be necessary to establish an appropriate methodology in which data will be collected on a continuing basis and, of equal importance, whose results will be analysed and made available quickly so that necessary changes in the overall programme can be made when necessary.