Academy for Educational Development

PROFILES is a process of nutrition policy and advocacy designed to demonstrate the contribution that improved nutrition can make to human and economic development. AED developed PROFILES in 1993 with funding from USAID and UNICEF; PROFILES has since been further developed and used in over 35 countries, with funding from a variety of sources.










PROFILES uses current scientific knowledge and interactive computer-based models to project the functional consequences of poor nutrition on important development outcomes such as mortality, morbidity, fertility, school performance, and labor productivity. PROFILES also estimates the costs and benefits of nutrition programs in a given country.













In all countries where the application takes place, PROFILES:

• raises awareness about nutrition
  
• builds consensus
  
• provides a flexible communication tools
  
• builds capacity
  
• makes nutrition a priority
  
• promotes more comprehensive strategies
  
• leverages new resources · better targets existing resources
  
• promotes coalitions in support of nutrition, and
  
• develops the leadership skills of nutrition advocates. 
  

A key strength of PROFILES is the fact that the process has been refined over the past ten years in a variety of settings, for a variety of purposes, and by partnerships among a variety of agencies and organizations. The emphasis now is to continue to enhance and improve the PROFILES process to be a more effective advocacy tool for the next decade and beyond.

Contact:   Helen Heymann