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Alive & Thrive country and regional staff and partners work to support the achievement of optimum nutrition for women, infants, and young children. Access our March report of key highlights.

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Published by Alive & Thrive, 2018-04-18 14:36:58

A&T Monthly: March 2018

Alive & Thrive country and regional staff and partners work to support the achievement of optimum nutrition for women, infants, and young children. Access our March report of key highlights.

A&T MONTHLY 

March 2018

ASEAN

~ Regional workshop to create more Group photo of the regional workshop. Photo credit: Alive & Thrive.
breastfeeding-friendly health systems. UNICEF,
Irish Aid, and Alive & Thrive (A&T) co-hosted a three- Program in action
day workshop for more than 90 participants from 10
countries (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, A&T facilitated a regional knowledge
Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, exchange for 40 participants from 10
Thailand, and Viet Nam) in Da Nang, Viet Nam to countries on early essential newborn
discuss how breastfeeding can be institutionalized care, human milk banking, and IYCF
and sustained in health systems across the region. counseling. Participants visited Viet
Representatives from ministries of health, the Bill & Nam’s first human milk bank, and a
Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, WABA, Save the “Little Sun” social franchise health
Children, Hellen Keller International, and SUN civil facility to observe nutritional counseling.
society networks explored opportunities to
strengthen breastmilk substitutes (BMS) codes,
create breastfeeding-friendly health systems,
establish centers of excellence for breastfeeding, and
incorporate human milk banking. The workshop also
offered a skill-building session on best practices for
engaging parliamentarians in policy advocacy
activities. Countries developed and presented action
plans that highlighted critical steps needed to
achieve breastfeeding-friendly health systems goals.
A full workshop report is forthcoming.

1

~ Acclaimed photographer Giacomo Pirozzi and ~ Philippines developing human milk bank (HMB)
A&T document work in Viet Nam and Myanmar. guidelines. The Philippines Department of Health is
Through photographs and narratives, mothers and establishing national HMB guidelines to set
children, healthcare workers, and communities technical standards for collecting, handling, storing
share their stories. The images and stories depict and distributing donor human milk. A&T is
how interventions have helped to strengthen the supporting this effort, and recommended that the
environment and practices for breastfeeding. The guidelines include safeguards against the
team interviewed women in the postnatal and commercialization of human milk. Similar to the
neonatal wards of hospitals, and conducted home system that A&T helped develop in Viet Nam, the
visits, including to a home of a human milk bank Philippines is exploring an electronic monitoring
donor. Home visits offered an opportunity to system for the milk bank. A&T conducted an initial
understand the breastfeeding experience of mothers assessment of the existing monitoring system at the
employed in the formal and informal sectors. While Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital’s HMB in Manila,
visiting a peri-urban community, a common theme which serves 60 other hospitals, and discussed
emerged about the growing presence of social options and potential steps to upgrade the
media in facilitating social support and norms for monitoring system based on the new national
breastfeeding. The photos and stories will be shared guidelines and standards.
on A&T's website and partner platforms, and used in
annual documentation for Irish Aid. Bangladesh

 A&T staff interviews a human milk bank donor in Viet Nam.  ~ Letter of Intent and workplan establish long-
term A&T and UNICEF collaboration. A&T and
~ New study in the International Breastfeeding UNICEF will coordinate efforts on MIYCN in
Journal. The research, conducted by A&T in Bangladesh through 2020 as detailed in an agreed
collaboration with the University of Padjadjaran workplan that supports the government in
(UNPAD), documents the economic burden of implementing MIYCN services. Actions include
treating diarrhea and respiratory disease due to not updating the National IYCF Communication
breastfeeding among children (< 24 months) in Strategy and Plan of Action, collaborating to
Indonesia. The economic evidence generated is improve nutrition indicators in the priority
useful for advocating for better breastfeeding divisions of Sylhet and Chittagong, and improving
policies and investments. A&T has also supported in- the national health management information
depth sub-national studies on the cost of not system. A&T and UNICEF will also support the
breastfeeding, with the aim of influencing national Urban Service Delivery System to integrate and
level policy change in Indonesia. strengthen nutrition-specific interventions. Joint
efforts will continue to address implementation of
the BMS Code and promotion of maternity and
breastfeeding protections in the workplace.

2

~ National Nutrition Service (NNS) develops new Program in action
maternal nutrition tools. A&T served as a key
technical member of the nutrition expert group to In Bihar, A&T provides technical assistance
the National Nutrition Service, Institute of Public to ICDS-ISSNIP (the Systems Strengthening
Health Nutrition (NNS-IPHN) during a technical and Nutrition Improvement Program). A&T
consultation. The workshop aimed to develop and reviewed ISSNIP’s training for 840 members
update job aids, reminder materials, and monitoring of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), which
tools to promote and support maternal nutrition. are the systems of rural local government.
A&T’s existing materials on maternal nutrition— a job During the training, ISSNIP developed an
aid and poster on food values and food groups—were action plan to increase the involvement of
used as resources at the workshop. Tools and PRI members in supporting Anganwadi
materials will be used by health center staff and Workers (health workers) to implement
community health volunteers. nutrition programs and counseling. The plan
suggests PRI members visit Anganwadi
~ Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) centers to assess gaps in infrastructure and
plans for Nutrition Week. A&T is providing provision of services, and to advocate with
technical assistance to the government of higher authorities to address them.
Bangladesh in planning Nutrition Week (Pushti
Week) as part of its effort to promote and gain ~ Maternal nutrition implementation research
support for the Second National Plan of Action initiated in Uttar Pradesh. A&T, through its
(NPAN2). The BNNC aims to take full advantage of partners IFPRI and IPE Global, is conducting
Nutrition Week as a platform to increase implementation research on maternal nutrition in
understanding of nutrition issues, and to promote Unnao and Kanpur Dehat districts of Uttar Pradesh.
improved nutrition services and multi-sectoral Newly recruited field and technical staff, who are
nutrition coordination. Nutrition Week will be involved in the implementation research,
celebrated from April 23-29, 2018. participated in a three-day training focused on
improving knowledge of optimal maternal nutrition
India practices: diet diversity, dietary and energy
requirements by trimester of pregnancy, iron-folic
~ National Indian Association of Preventive and acid and calcium supplementation, deworming, and
Social Medicine (IAPSM): ‘Mission First 1000 Days.’ weight gain tracking. The training also provided
A&T is partnering with IAPSM to take forward MIYCN skill-building in interpersonal communications to
initiatives and programs at scale through IAPSM influence social and behavior change at the
members in its 420 Medical Colleges across India. community and household levels through frontline
‘Mission 1000 Days’ was launched at IAPSM's national workers. Trained field staff will be posted in
annual conference, where IAPSM officially announced allocated blocks in the intervention districts, and
the partnership. The first bulletin dedicated to MIYCN undertake preliminary research activities including
was released during the conference. A&T will work obtaining demographic data, and building
with IAPSM to build capacity of its members in MIYCN relationships with the district and block officials.
policy and programming using an e-learning platform
and online certificates, and support regular 3
dissemination of MIYCN updates on the IAPSM
website.

~ Baseline survey findings released on integrating Burkina Faso
MIYCN into a polio eradication program. Project
Concern International (PCI) leads implementation of ~ Through a MIYCN lens: analysis of Burkina Faso
the Core Group Polio Project (CGPP) in high-risk national guidelines for reproductive, maternal
areas of Uttar Pradesh, and deploys Community newborn, and child health (RMNCH). Rather than
Mobilization Coordinators (CMC) to administer polio direct implementation of interventions, A&T will
drops and strengthen routine immunization. A&T is leverage investments of other development
partnering with PCI to test the feasibility of partners, including those in RMNCH through the
integrating MIYCN interventions into CGPP. A Global Financing Facility (GFF)/World Bank
randomized control trial to evaluate effectiveness of International Development Association (IDA), to
the CCM platform in achieving MIYCN results is improve MIYCN. To guide the prioritization of
underway through partners IFPRI and IMPACT. reforms and interventions with an emphasis on
Findings from the baseline survey indicate that MIYCN, A&T is conducting a policy and program
knowledge on the importance of antenatal care analysis of the RMNCH guidelines. The analysis will
(ANC) visits and of weight gain, calcium and iron identify gaps in policies and interventions supportive
consumption, and increased meal frequency during of MIYCN, and barriers to implementation. It will also
pregnancy is low. Breastfeeding practices are also assess the extent to which MIYCN is integrated into
poor; only two in five women reported initiating existing national policies and strategies, and the
breastfeeding within one hour of birth, and only 6% coverage of MIYCN interventions. A first draft of the
of women reported exclusive breastfeeding. PCI will analysis is expected by the end of April.
use these findings to prioritize key interventions, and
use the data as a benchmark for monitoring progress ~ The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global
during implementation and effectiveness at the Affairs Canada visit a health center. Between 2014-
completion of the project.  2017, A&T trained all health workers to provide high
quality breastfeeding counseling. This donor visit
~ Food plate to promote maternal nutrition diet provided an opportunity to observe breastfeeding
diversity. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna counseling during a well child visit, and learn first-
(RGMVP), a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partner hand from community members about their
that works through women's Self Help Groups exposure to A&T radio spots on promoting the
(SHGs) in 41 districts, focuses on women’s importance of colostrum, and early and exclusive
empowerment through community-led interventions breastfeeding for the first six months.
and the use of social and behavior change activities
to improve health and nutrition indicators. A&T is On the horizon
providing technical support to RGMVP in Uttar
Pradesh to use the SHG platform to reach women A&T is in the process of developing a
with maternal nutrition counseling. The nutrition partnership with WHO to expand the
food plate, designed by A&T, is a tool to facilitate roll out of the 2016 WHO Antenatal
counseling during regular SHG women’s meetings. Care guidelines. The terms of the
collaboration are being discussed.

4

~ A&T supports Breastfeeding Day. To celebrate ~ Senegal’s Ministry of Health and A&T partner on
Burkina Faso’s Breastfeeding Day on March 29, A&T MIYCN. At an initial meeting with the Nutrition, and
organized a network of media professionals and Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health units, A&T
journalists—drawing on nutrition champions from its initiated a partnership with the Ministry of Health.
earlier breastfeeding advocacy work—to raise The next step entails developing a letter of
awareness of optimal IYCF practices, and discuss the collaboration and a plan MIYCN activities.
importance of breastfeeding and strategies to
mobilize support for mothers in adopting optimal Ethiopia
breastfeeding practices. Burkina TV and Omega FM
Radio hosted one live TV and radio program, ~ Training on Timed and Age Appropriate
respectfully. The radio emission was interactive; Messaging (TAAM) approach to counseling. Over 55
listeners could call in and ask questions or share health workers in Southern Nations, Nationalities,
their thoughts. and Peoples' (SNNP) Region, including the heads of
health centers, case team coordinators, and health
A&T's Elie Kabre (left), during radio interview. extension supervisors, attended an A&T training on
TAMM counseling. TAAM encourages health workers
ECOWAS to deliver targeted messages at critical times in the
child’s growth and development to promote relevant
~ Regional Nutrition Working Group (RNWG) IYCF practices. The training also included
meeting in Senegal. The RNWG coordinates efforts complementary food demonstrations, and
and identifies opportunities to accelerate coverage discussions on how to improve MIYCN service
of MIYCN activities in West Africa. UNICEF, who chairs delivery at the health center and health post levels.
the working group, shared the highlights from a The trainees will incorporate TAAM into their routine
February workshop in Dakar, aimed at developing a counseling at health centers.
joint work plan for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
grantees in their efforts to create a favorable ~ Nutrition-sensitive agriculture for Agriculture
environment for nutrition in the ECOWAS region. A&T Extension Workers (AEWs) in SNNP and Tigray
presented its model for scaling up maternal and regions. A&T sensitized nearly 80 AEWs on the nexus
child nutrition interventions, and possible strategies between agriculture and nutrition, and specifically
to replicate this model.  on the program pathways linking agriculture to
improved nutrition. These pathways (identified by
Anna Herforth and Jody Harris under the SPRING
project) include food production, agriculture
income, and women’s empowerment. The training
explored how AEWs can collaborate with Health
Extension Workers and livelihood project
beneficiaries to improve MIYCN through these
pathways.  

5

~ Strategic planning meeting for new Irish Aid and ~ Rapid MIYCN community assessment results in
A&T project in SNNP Region. Over 30 participants, Lagos and Kaduna States. To align IYCF
including representatives from the Federal Ministry investments in Nigeria with the needs and
of Health (FMOH) and Ministry of Agriculture & opportunities in Lagos and Kaduna States, A&T
Natural Resources (FMOA&NR), the Chair of the collected information on mothers of children 0-11
Federal Program Delivery Unit for multi-sectoral months in one Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos
coordination, and staff from the Bill & Melinda Gates and one in Kaduna. Among the findings, data show
Foundation, World Bank, Food & Agriculture that over 70% of mothers in the Lagos State LGA are
Organization (FAO), and NGOs, participated in salaried workers, while only 10.5% of mothers are
planning for a new MIYCN investment in SNNP. The salaried in the Kaduna State LGA. As a result,
project aims to build the capacity of the FMOH, interventions in Lagos will focus on the workplace
FMOA&NR, and Regional Health and Agriculture lactation environment, including safe breastfeeding
Bureaus to achieve MIYCN targets of the National space, and strengthening the skills of mothers in
Nutrition Program II (NNP II) and the National manual milk expression and storage of expressed
Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Strategy (NNSAS). breastmilk. Quarterly assessments will evaluate
Staff from the FMOH and the FMOA&NR presented on progress and lead to necessary adjustments.
current nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive
activities, and on the capacity gaps in implementing
planned activities. Based on this meeting, A&T will
finalize its workplan and sign MOUs with the FMOH
and FMOA&NR.

Nigeria

~ UNICEF and A&T sign Letter of Collaboration Data collectors (left and center), interviewing
(LOC) on IYCF. UNICEF and A&T recently formalized mothers during rapid assessment.
a long-established working relationship through an Photo credit: Alive & Thrive
LOC to ensure IYCF coverage, reach, and replication
across Nigeria, with an emphasis on Lagos and ~ A&T sensitizes the National Orientation Agency
Kaduna States. In 2018, the partnership will focus on (NOA) in Lagos on the national IYCF policy and
coordinating efforts through the Global BMS code. The NOA is tasked with disseminating
Breastfeeding Collective; finalizing Nigeria’s national and communicating government policies to other
MIYCN strategy, operational plan and advocacy government agencies and the public. During a recent
toolkit; and refining the roadmap to strengthen forum, NOA participants discussed how they can
implementation of the BMS code.  best leverage the agency, particularly its Community
Mobilization Officers, to support IYCF programs and
policies. Discussions are ongoing to develop a formal
collaboration between NOA and A&T in its
intervention areas.

6


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