Provision of immediate life-saving integrated nutrition support to children 0-59 months and pregnant and lactating mothers in Qansax-dheere District ltp class="" style=""gtThis proposed 12-month nutrition project is designed to respond to the current needs of affected populations in Qansaxdheere district of Bay region providing access to lifesaving nutrition support. The interventions will contribute to addressing the malnutrition problems through implementation of nutrition intervention that will target to support 12,250 (6002 boys, 6248 girls) 0-59 months and 3,150 pregnant  lactating women. The overall objective of the project is to provide access  equitable lifesaving curative  preventive nutrition services, through systematic identification, referral and treatment of acute malnutrition among children 6-59 months and promoting child feeding practices among caregivers with children 0-59 months in Qansaxdheere district.

The Nutrition services will be run through outpatient department for treatment of acute malnutrition. ADA will also implement a robust community education for the community on health and hygiene promotion in order to support a healthier lifestyle. A total of 7 locations will be targeted including 1 static facility in Qansax-dheere town and 6 mobile sites (Shanta Mundule village, Gedisoy IDP, Badbaado IDP, Duray village, Bandhat IDP, Bulo Gedudo), targeting to reach 1050 men, 3,769 women, 6,002 boys and 6,248 girls.lt/pgtltp class="" style=""gtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtThe outpatientlt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt therapeutic programs will focus on conducting daily triaging of visiting patients and provide treatment to those with severe acute malnutritionlt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt. The nutrition department will also be responsible for checking and referring children 0-59 months to the imlt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtmunization services for vaccination. The nutrition teams will work closely with the EPI section lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtto identify children who missed their vaccination and those defaulted. ADA will utilize CHWs through the nutrition program to trace, promote and encourage immunization of children 0-59 months and pregnant and lactating women.lt/spangtlt/pgtltp class="" style=""gtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtThe nutrition services will provide micronutrient supplementation to children under 5 years and PLWs including Vitamin A supplementation, Iron  Folate, Multiple Micronutrient and Micronutrient powder. The services will as well include provision of deworming to children under 5 years. Infant  Young child feeding counselling sessions will be done at the facility for PLWs who visit the health Centre through ANC/PNC clinics and at the outpatient therapeutic program. ADA will establish child-friendly space at the fixed facility aimed at engaging children under 5 affected by drought and conflict, lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtwith recreational  playing lt/spangtactivitiesltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt. lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtADA will ensure lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtthe community lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtare sensitized through lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtNutrition, Health  Hygiene preventive and promotion and lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtIYCF/IYCF-E awareness sessionslt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt at the facility lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt community level to obtain improvedlt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gthealth, nutrition  hygiene and IYCFlt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt practices. This will also be enhanced with distribution of 2590 hygiene kits to patients in the OTP as lt/spangtpreventive measures to curbltspan style="font-size: 14px"gt AWD/Cholera outbreaks. lt/spangtltspan style="font-size: 14px"gtADA will work with a network of CHWs that will support in identification of minor illnesses and detection and referral of malnourished cases to the facility. ADA will ensure cases with moderate acute malnutrition are referred to the nearest Targeted Supplementary Feeding Centre. ADA will conduct capacity building for nutrition staffs on integrated, management of acute malnutrition and infant  young child feeding protocols targeting 30 and 8 persons respectively. ADA will ensure good gender representation in the training where it will target at least 55% female participants. At all levels, ADA shall work with the line ministry and local leaders for continued support, timely problem identification, strategy  decision-making for better service delivery as well as coordinate with cluster and other stakeholders in information sharing. ADA will conduct training for 14 project staffs (6 women, 8 men) on PSEA, GBV and child protection. ADA in coordination with MoH, will conduct a joint supervision and monitoring once on quarterly basis during the project period.lt/spangtlt/pgt