A collaborative platform bringing together researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the double burden of malnutrition among children and adolescents.
The UK-SEA Child and Adolescent Nutrition (UK-SEA ChAN) Network is a collaborative platform that brings together researchers, policymakers, NGOs, and key stakeholders across academia, government, and civil society in the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia region to address and prevent the double burden of malnutrition (DBM), where undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies coexist, among school-age children and adolescents.
Through cross-regional collaboration, the network advances knowledge exchange, co-develops evidence-based solutions, and supports the implementation and scale-up of effective programmes. By strengthening partnerships and stakeholder capacity, UK-SEA ChAN aims to improve child and adolescent nutrition outcomes across the Southeast Asia region.
The double burden of malnutrition continues to affect school-age children and adolescents across Southeast Asia, with long-term implications for health, development, and well-being.
Expanding a network that facilitates expertise sharing, knowledge exchange, and collaborative learning is essential to address this challenge effectively.
The UK-SEA ChAN network plays a critical role by:
Serve as a platform to share research, insights, and best practices
Advance and scale-up collaborative research and intervention programmes
Strengthen capacity through webinars, workshops, and peer-learning activities
Secure funding from international and national sources for sustainable initiatives
A region where every school-age child and adolescent can grow up healthy, free from all forms of malnutrition, and reach their full potential within a supportive food environment and resilient food systems.
To drive collaborative, evidence-informed action to prevent and address malnutrition among school-age children and adolescents in Southeast Asia.
The network brings together a diverse range of stakeholders
Research institutions and academic partners driving evidence-based solutions
Government agencies shaping nutrition policies and regulations
Non-governmental organisations and community-based partners
Nutrition experts, dietitians, and educators
International development partners and funding institutions
Parents, children, adolescents, and youth advocates
The UK-SEA ChAN Network is driven by the leadership and commitment of its founding members across partner institutions.
Professor of Food Safety, Nutrition & Global Health
University of Leeds
Immediate Past President
Nutrition Society of Malaysia
Executive Director
International Life Sciences Institute, Southeast Asia Region
Associate Professor
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Research Fellow
University of Leeds
Manager, Science Programs
International Life Sciences Institute, Southeast Asia Region
The UK–SEA Child and Adolescent Nutrition (UK–SEA ChAN) Network is supported through a combination of research funding and fellowship initiatives that enable cross-regional collaboration between the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia.
Key support includes:
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which has funded foundational research underpinning the network's development.
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The Cheney Fellowship at the University of Leeds, which supports international collaboration and knowledge exchange contributing to the establishment and activities of UK–SEA ChAN.
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The British Council International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) and Akademi Sains Malaysia (ASM), which have funded and supported the UK–Malaysia project on Healthier Digital Food Environments, providing a critical platform for stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the network’s early activities.
The British Council Going Global Partnerships Programme, which has supported the establishment of a tri-country collaboration between the University of Leeds (United Kingdom), Universiti Putra Malaysia (Malaysia), and Jiangsu University (China), advancing partnerships in child and adolescent nutrition, food systems, and the prevention of the double burden of malnutrition
Learn MoreThese funding contributions have enabled the development of UK–SEA ChAN as a regional platform for advancing research, policy engagement, and capacity strengthening on child and adolescent nutrition.
Work with us to advance research, policy, and implementation for healthier food environments and improved nutrition outcomes.
