Accelerating healthy agriculture and nutrition

People experiencing malnutrition face complex and diverse needs, including but not limited to access to diverse foods and adequate health care, it is an issue requiring a multi-sector response and partnerships across Water, Agriculture, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), business, government and others. It involves the activities of a wide range of groups and government bodies working together to achieve results.

Objective

Burnet is leading the health component in landmark multisector response in Southern Laos, funded by the European Union. This Action will be implemented over 48 months by a consortium of partners including World Vision (lead), Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF), Green Community Development Association (GCDA) and the Burnet Institute (BI).

This is an integrated, multi-sectoral project in line with the Government of Lao PDR’s (GoL) convergence approach, the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action (NNSAP) (2016-2020), and the European Union’s (EUs) Joint Indicative Programming Document for Lao PDR (2016-2020).

The overall objective of the action was to create supportive conditions for enhanced household nutrition.

This was achieved through the following specific objectives:

• improved access to and availability of sufficient and/or diverse foods year round
• improved dietary and care practices among Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) (15-45 years ) and CU5 (Burnet Inputs all fall within Outcome 2)
• reduced incidence of selected Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related diseases/illnesses linked to undernutrition
• improved gender equitable relations at the HH level, particularly in decision-making and distribution of workload
• strengthened multi-sector coordination and support for nutrition.

Approach

Burnet delivered the health component and activities included the following.

Conduct qualitative research

The research covered harmful food restrictions, taboos and other traditional practices contributing to poor nutrition outcomes.

Medical supply management

Train health facilities to improve procurement, monitoring, storage and management systems for contraceptives, dietary and therapeutic supplements, Micro-Nutrient Powder (MNP), deworming and other medications linked to the treatment of selected illnesses/diseases liked to malnutrition.

Integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI)

Train health actors in the prevention and treatment of selected illnesses/diseases linked to nutrition including diarrhoea, malaria, dengue fever and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI).

Severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition (SAM/MAM)

Train health actors in the identification, referral, treatment and/or community-based management of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH)

Train health actors on sexual and reproductive health.

Burnet’s qualitative research informed other inputs, including adapting WV’s Community Change for Social Action approach and curriculum for the purposes of culturally appropriate alternatives to harmful food restrictions, taboos and other traditional practices through facilitated interpersonal dialogue.

This was used in the implementation of “Nutrition Groups” formed by the project, to contribute to the outcome that Mothers and Caregivers have the knowledge and skills to care for their families and adapt culturally appropriate alternatives to harmful food practices, restrictions, food and other traditional practices.