Improved Access to Quality Nutrition Services through Early Detection, Skilled MIYCN Counselling, and Acute Malnutrition Treatment in Dikwa and Maiduguri LGAs ltpgtThis project aims to mitigate the impact of protracted armed conflict in the North East of Nigeria. The crisis has been aggravated by several factors including frequent displacements, food insecurity, climate change, biting inflation as well as government policies such as camp closure, and government decisions on certain humanitarian interventions. This project aims to reduce the impact of the lean season crisis by providing nutritional care for under 5 children with acute malnutrition and improving the knowledge of caregivers to better support their families. INTERSOS will deploy both curative and preventive measures to reach 22,130 persons with nutrition-specific interventions. Key to the intervention is the identification of Community Volunteers (CHVs)/Community Nutrition Mobilizers (CNMs) whose role is to identify, screen, and refer the under 5 children and their caregivers from the community to the nutrition sites. CHVs and CNMs will be selected from the community to ensure community participation and acceptance of nutrition services. On the curative aspect, the funding will be used to provide additional bed spaces in the 2 Stabilization Centers of Dikwa General Hospital (15 beds) and State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri (20 beds). These bed spaces have been identified working in close collaboration with the HMB (Hospital Management Board). In addition to the existing and additional bed spaces, INTERSOS plans to reach at least 1,250 (900 in Maiduguri, 350 in Dikwa) under 5 children of SAM with complications. INTERSOS in collaboration with the nutrition sector will identify additional OTP sites in Dikwa to support the management of under 5 children with SAM and in adherence to sector recommendations will establish TSFP sites close to the OTPs. The TSFP sites will manage cases of Moderate Acute Malnutrition without complication using the Tom Brown approach. Also at the TSFP/OTP points sick children will be identified and referred to the SC or hospital depending on the MUAC value. The project will target a total of 3,600 and 6,500 under 5 children with acute malnutrition with OTP and TSFP services respectively. ltbrgtIn addition, INTERSOS will support and promote MIYCF-E (Mother Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in Emergency) activities both at the facility and community level. Using a network of community health volunteers(CNMs)/Community Health Volunteers INTERSOS will identify and train lead mothers who will deliver IYCF messages using the care group model and also support the family MUAC approach to ensure early detection of cases of acute malnutrition at the community level. While in the health facilities, trained nurses and nutrition staff will deliver one-on-one counseling for caregivers of SAM children. This intervention will encourage synergy with other existing projects and linkage with other critical sectors such as Protection, Health, WASH, CCCM and livelihood to ensure a holistic approach to care and greater impact on the community. The protection technical referent who will support this intervention will ensure that PSEAH and GBV messaging is mainstreamed during care group sessions and that all nutrition sites are accessible to people with disabilities while promoting the dignity of beneficiaries. The technical referent will also undertake GBV monitoring of the project sites. Other than the OTPs and the TSFP approaches, INTERSOS, if the security situation allows, proposes to conduct nutrition outreach activities (OTPs and TSFPs) in Dikwa LGA. ltbrgtlt/pgt