Integrated Delivery of Nutrition-Specific and Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions in Ghana to Address Child Malnutrition
Melani 0'Leary
World Vision Canada, Mississauga/Ontario, Canada.
Raymond Owusu *
World Vision Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Alison Mildon
World Vision Canada, Mississauga/Ontario, Canada.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Objectives: Interventions to improve household diet quality and food security under the Integrated Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and TB (IMHAT) project (2008-2012) were planned, implemented and monitored jointly with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and Ghana Health Services (GHS). The objective was to accelerate reductions in child malnutrition by integrating nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
Methods: Strong collaboration between GHS and MOFA was established through joint program design and quarterly follow up meetings. Extension agents from both GHS and MOFA were trained in Behaviour Change Communication and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counseling and jointly implemented household visits, distribution of vegetable seeds and small animals, food demonstrations using highly nutritious indigenous crops, and training on food preparation, food preservation and household budgeting.
Lot Quality Assurance Sampling was used for baseline and final evaluation. Respondents (114) for each sampling group (Caregivers with children 0-6months, Caregivers of children 12-23 months, Caregivers with children 6-59 months, Respondents aged 15-49) were included. Sampling for anthropometry included 232 children aged 6-59 months.
Results: There was an increase in consumption of animal source foods (43% to 58.8%) and vitamin A rich foods (0 to 56.1%) by children age 6-59 months. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months increased from 63.2% to 74.6%. Stunting was reduced to 24.6% from 45%, underweight to 16.8% from 22.6%, and wasting to 3% from 6.3%.
Conclusions: Integrated delivery of interventions through strong collaboration between government ministries was successful in improving diet quality and growth in young children. Scale up of the approach is planned.