Sajid Soofi

Aga Khan University, Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty Member

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Dr. Soofi is a distinguished professor who integrates his roles as a clinician, researcher, and public health scientist, demonstrating exceptional expertise in each field and extensive experience in hospital and community-based research. His passion lies in improving maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health, focusing on nutrition and infectious diseases.

Dr. Soofi has a proven track record of leading high-impact research initiatives. He has spearheaded multiple clinical trials and large-scale national and international nutrition surveys & program evaluations that have garnered significant attention. A key focus of his research is the integration of interventions for newborns and children, especially nutrition and malnutrition, into existing health system programs. The robust evidence generated through these trials has demonstrably influenced policy and program development, improving MNCH (maternal, neonatal, and child health) survival rates and reducing malnutrition in mothers and children.

Dr. Soofi's research excellence is evident in his success in securing 65 highly competitive research grants. He fosters strong collaborations with leading funding agencies and academic institutions, further solidifying his research impact. His achievements are further validated by prestigious research excellence awards and over 230 publications in top-tier international journals.
Phone: +923002769398

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Specialized nutritious foods and behavior change communication interventions during the first 1000 d of life to prevent stunting: a quasi-experimental study in Afghanistan

Specialized nutritious foods and behavior change communication interventions during the first 1000 d of life to prevent stunting: a quasi-experimental study in Afghanistan, 2024

Background: Considerable evidence supports the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation with ... more Background: Considerable evidence supports the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation with or without nutrition education in preventing stunting in developing countries, but evidence from Afghanistan is scarce. Objectives: This project aimed to assess the effectiveness of specialized nutritious food (SNF), social and behavior change communication (SBCC) intervention to prevent stunting among children under 2 y during the first 1000 d of life in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Methods: We used a community-based quasi-experimental pre-post study design with a control group. Pregnant and lactating women received a monthly ration of 7.5 kg of super cereal (250 g/d) during pregnancy and the first 6 mo of breastfeeding. Children aged 6-23 mo received 30 sachets of mediumquantity lipid-based nutrient supplement (50 g/sachet/d) monthly. We compared pre-and postintervention assessments of the intervention and control groups to isolate the effect of the intervention on key study outcomes at the endline by difference-indifferences (DID) estimates. Results: A total of 2928 and 3205 households were surveyed at baseline and endline. DID estimates adjusted for child, maternal, and household characteristics indicated a significant reduction in stunting (DID: À5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: À9.9, À0.2) and underweight (DID: À4.6% (95% CI: À8.6, À0.5) among children <2 y of age. However, DID estimates for wasting among children in the intervention and control groups were not significantly different (DID: À1.7 (95% CI: À5.1, 1.6). Furthermore, exposure to the SBCC messages was associated with improvements in the early initiation of breastfeeding (DID: 19.6% (95% CI: 15.6, 23.6), exclusive breastfeeding under 6 mo (DID: 11.0% (95% CI: 2.3, 19.7), minimum meal frequency (DID: 23% (95% CI: 17.7, 28.2), and minimum acceptable diet (DID: 13% (95% CI: 9.8, 16.3). Conclusions: The provision of SNF in combination with SBCC during the first 1000 d of life was associated with reduction in stunting and underweight and improvements in infant and young child feeding practices among children under 2 y of age. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04581993.

Sajid Soofi

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