Provision of life-saving emergency Nutrition assistance through management of complicated and uncomplicated Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Borno and Yobe States ltpgtltspan dir="ltr" class="ui-provider gs b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak"gtPlan International Nigeria will implement a 6-month nutrition response focusing on the provision of life-saving emergency nutrition services through the strengthening of the existing government health services and outpatient therapeutic program sites in Dikwa and Gwoza LGAs in Borno State and Jakusko and Bursari LGAs in Yobe State. The project will strengthen the capacity of the government healthcare providers in the management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM )with medical complications in the Stabilization Centers (SCs) and also outpatient therapeutic program sites to promote the sustainability of these critical services in the government’s existing health facilities. The project will treat children with complicated SAM and/or failed appetite tests in re-established SCs through proper diagnosis, daily medical reviews, and treatment. The project will also focus on the admission of children 6-59 months with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition at established outpatient therapeutic (OTP) sites. The project will provide brain stimulation services such as psychosocial support to the children and caretakers of children with complicated SAM admitted to the SCs and behavioral change communication on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN). The planned project will reach a total of 743 (396 girls  347 boys) under 5 years of age with complicated SAM in 2 decentralized SCs in Yobe States and 3137 (1726 girls  1411 boys) under 5 children with uncomplicated SAM at the established OTP sites in Borno and Yobe States. ltbrgt
Furthermore, the project will integrate gender-responsive messaging and child safeguarding in its community engagement processes, share information, encourage discussions, and address gender and safeguarding issues that impact on optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF). In addition, the project will strengthen the Nutrition sector’s emergency preparedness response plan for the lean season. The project will also strengthen SAM management in each SCs through supportive supervision and monitoring and through the provision of logistical and technical support in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Nutrition sector coordination desk. The project will focus on supporting the most vulnerable population groups, specifically children under five years of age, caretakers of SAM children, caretakers of SAM children who are living with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. Plan International will integrate the management of complicated SAM cases into existing health services in each general hospital and in the LGA health system using State Primary Health Care and Development Agency (SPHCDA) and hospital staff and strengthening the LGA nutrition coordination meeting in all targeted LGAs.ltbrgt
At project inception, Plan International Nigeria will prioritize identifying children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) to facilitate access to life-saving services for children under five years of age and to enable the management of these SAM cases in collaboration with SPHCDA and Hospital Board Management (HBM) staff. Plan will strengthen the capacity of the government health service providers as well as parents, guardians, and caretakers to prevent malnutrition and respond timely to the needs of children with SAM. Plan will work closely with the government and nutrition sector working group/other partners working in each LGA. The project will strengthen accountability to beneficiaries through the establishment and strengthening of an inclusive and appropriate community and facility-based complaints and feedback mechanism that will allow women, girls, men, and boys to safely report concerns about the emergency nutrition response in their respective Hospitals. The project also will ensure gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation is undertaken by disaggregating all data by sex, age, and disability and creating complementary qualitative and quantitative indicators.lt/spangtlt/pgt