Scale-up access, treatment, and life-saving nutrition assistance for children under 5 with acute malnutrition, and pregnant and lactating women in Machina, Yusufari, Tarmua, and Jakusko LGAs of Yobe State. Jireh Doo Foundation (JDF) will implement a 10-months project in Yusufari, Machina, Tarmua, and Jakusko LGAs of Yobe State. Given the significant impact recorded by JDF so far with the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with RUTF through its established OTPs at the health facilities and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) for under 5 children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) using ready to use supplementary food (RUSF) also known as action meal. Action Meal is similar to the tom brown approach but fortified with micronutrients and suitable for our implementing location which lacks access to adequate clean water and WASH actors (based on the WASH partner's operation presence map)in the proposed LGA's of Yusufari, Machina, Tarmua, and Jakusko. JDF will focus on scaling-up treatment and access to quality lifesaving nutrition services, this will include malnutrition treatment services for SAM 6-59month,  MAM children 6-59 months, and Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs) through the provision of Outpatience therapeutic services (OTP), Action meal (Tom brown), infant and young child feeding promotion (IYCF) and this will include malnutrition prevention services to children from 6-23 months through the provision of micronutrients. 

This will be achieved by scaling up CMAM services at target locations of Machina, Yusufari, Tarmua, and Jakusko in Yobe State for the treatment of SAM and MAM in children under 5 pregnant, and lactating women. To realize these objectives JDF will continue to work with the Primary Health Care Management Board (PHCMB) and the LGA structures in Yobe state. Through this project, JDF will reach 2000 SAM children in the project location (Machina 500, Yusufari 500, Jakusko 500, and Tarmua 500), 4000 moderate acute malnourished children (Machina 1000, Yusufari 1000, Jakusko 1000, and Tarmua 1000), and 1600 PLWs (Machina 400, Yusufari 400, Jakusko 400, and Tarmua 400), with RUTF and Action meal (Fortified tom brown) to reduce the risk of deteriorating to SAM. The project will adopt an innovative infant and young child feeding promotion reaching 8000 children 6-23 months in (Machina 2000, Yusufari 2000, Jakusko 2000, and Tarmua 2000), with Micronutrient powder. JDF will ensure quality nutrition service delivery by strengthening the capacity of the existing health and community structures for sustainability, Systematic identification and referral of acutely malnourished children and PLWs will be carried out. MAM cases will be treated by using fortified locally produced supplementary food (Action Meal) Similar to the locally produced tom brown, however, fortified. Undernutrition being a multi-sectoral problem with multi-sectoral solutions, JDF will provide hygiene kits to caregivers of SAM, MAM, and PLW through the WASH supply pipeline, these caregivers will also be identified through our mother family MUAC approach strategy which has proven to be a very effective and has strengthened the prospects of sustainability, This approach is relevant and compliant in the COVID-19 context with the restriction on movement and large gatherings, social distancing regulations and other COVID-19 prevention, and control methods. The approach will significantly reduce exposure between the nutrition service providers and beneficiaries.
 
The anthropometrics of children under this program will be monitored weekly. All these interventions will be integrated with preventive nutrition interventions such as IYCF counseling and social behavioral change communication. This will be situated within a comprehensive Social Behavioral Change Communication that will include Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) programme in Emergency, formation, and operationalization of Mother to Mother and Father to Father Support Groups where WASH, Health and GBV as well as COVID-19 messaging will be shared.