Protect and Enhance Nutrition of Conflicted Affected Children and Women in Puta-O Both a rapid assessment for this proposal carried out between 26 July and 3 August 2022 and a baseline assessment in March 2022 conducted for the Maternal and Child Health project of WCM in Puta-O underscored the dire needs of nutrition and protection. First, there was the presence of serious malnutrition and health status of both under 5 children and their mothers indicated by the prevalence of 7.2 % moderate/severe wasting, 26.7%, 47.8% and 5.65% of mothers of under two children with mild, moderate and severe anemia and 28.8%, 51.4% and 7.8% of under two children with mild, moderate and severe anemia. Second, government health facilities which are expected to be serving the target populations have been functioning poorly due to under staffing and shortage of essential commodities since the military coup. Third, there was the presence of considerable degree of risks of landmines, child protection and Gender Based Violence (GBV) for the target populations. Finally, both the community-based and government protection mechanisms for children and women had collapsed since the military coup. 

WCM, 3 local Civil Society Organizations (Myitta Parahita, Beulah Land Parahita, Emnuela), 28 churches and 21 Mother Self Help Groups (MSHG), 21 Children SHGs (CSHG) and 21 Community-Based Protection Groups (CBPG) have consented to forge a partnership to implement a comprehensive, integrated nutrition and protection project to contribute towards reduction of acute malnutrition and anemia and child and women rights and GBV and maximize child and women protection. 

The following key strategies will collectively contribute towards the intended objectives benefitting 2,139 under five children and 1,168 mothers as well as 5,116 under 18 children and 1,402 parents residing in 32 target villages/camps/resettlements in Puta-O township of Kachin state.
(1) Carry out community-based screening of acute malnutrition by community volunteers and community-based surveillance mechanism for child rights, GBV and mine risks to gather information to ensure tailored and appropriate services (2) Undertake Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) for mothers of under 5 children, parents of under 18 children and children between 6 to 18 (3) Set up a mobile clinic to provide nutrition and protection services (4) Run community-based services to complement a mobile clinic through making micronutrient supplements, supplementary food, Child Protection and dignity kits, safe shelters, counselling and psycho-social support to populations who need them most (5) Provide preferential treatment to People with Disability (PWD) and the most vulnerable groups such as women headed households and children taken care by non-biological parents (6) Enhance coordination and collaboration with other key players such as Medical Action Myanmar (MAM), nutrition and protection clusters, UNICEF and WHO (7) Strengthen capacity and systems of local partners using the resources of the WCM’s mainstream projects and (8) Integrate with the long term WCM's Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition project and Child Rights and Development project to increase their effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and increase the number of people served.