Nutrition project in Machinga
Screening, Care and Nutrition for the Management of Severe and Moderate Malnutrition in Children Aged 0 to 2 Years project is in its second year of implementation in Machinga district. In the first year, the project operated in Traditional Authority (T/A) Nchiunguza and currently in T/A Nyambi.
Targeting to reach 1,750 and 1,000 pregnant and lactating mothers directly, the project seeks to contribute to the reduction of infant mortality due to severe acute malnutrition in children aged 0 to 2 years in Malawi. Activities in the project include community counselling to pregnant and lactating mothers including those with malnourished children, supplementary feeding demonstrations, correct breastfeeding practices and cooking demonstrations on the six food groups while primarily targeting care groups which are made up of both women and men.
Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the project engages Health Surveillance Assistants, Community Health Workers and volunteers receive training in Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) to work hand in hand with the targeted population and ensure referrals to rehabilitation services and provision of supplementary foods which include kidney beans and cooking oil to malnourished children. Successful implementation will increase malnutrition screening, access to nutrition services and reduce acute malnutrition in children.
The project is being implemented with financial support from the Valdese Church through Humana People to People Italia and targets to reach over 60,000 people.
