scholarly journals Implementing Care Groups for improved maternal and child nutrition: Critical factors for success from the Amalima program in rural Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Pamela Ncube-Murakwani ◽  
Shamiso Alice Moyo ◽  
Mackson Maphosa ◽  
Mutsa Dzimba ◽  
Sijabulisiwe Beatrice Dube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Maternal And Child Nutrition ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
Breastfeeding Rate

Over the last decade Zimbabwe has made noteworthy progress in reducing both underweight and wasting in children under the age of five years, however one in four children in Zimbabwe is stunted. The rate in the decline of the number of children stunted still falls short of meeting the World Health Assembly target, and it goes without saying that effective, innovative community-based strategies are required by the government and development partners to accelerate the rate of stunting reduction. This paper presents experiences from using the Care Group approach for promoting improved maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) and care based on lessons from the Amalima program, a seven-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace intervention. The Amalima program has been promoting Care Groups as a community and family centred approach to improve maternal and child nutrition in Zimbabwe. Care Groups are an innovative community-based strategy that has been rolled out as part of the Amalima program activities in four food and nutrition insecure districts in Zimbabwe. The final programme evaluation suggested the program succeeded in increasing the exclusive breastfeeding rate and reducing levels of nutritional stunting among children under two years. In the present discussion paper, we present the key lessons learned and strategies we believe may have contributed to making Care Group implementation effective; we highlight the modifications that we made in Care Group implementation to ensure a context appropriate approach; and we discuss how Care Groups can be integrated into the Ministry of Health and Child Care structure. The critical factors for successful Care Group implementation have been grouped into five broad categories: conduct formative research; ensure context specific approaches & adaptive management; leverage on social capital and cohesion; invest in human capital; prioritise quality assurance & reviews.

scholarly journals A qualitative investigation of adolescent participation in Care Groups for improved maternal and child nutrition: experiences from rural Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-47
Author(s):  
Pamela Ncube-Murakwani
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adolescent Mother ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Community Group ◽  
Care Groups

The Amalima program in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South Provinces of Zimbabwe, an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace, promoted Care Groups from 2014-2020. Care Groups are community peer- to- peer support groups that provide a platform for promoting optimal nutrition and health for pregnant and lactating women, as well as children 6-23 months of age through training sessions run by community group leaders to promote recommended maternal, infant and young child nutrition practices. A qualitative study was conducted to describe adolescent mother inclusion and participation in Care Groups, highlighting key enablers and barriers for participation.  A total of 28 in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescents in Care Groups, as well as adolescents not participating in Care Groups. Focus group discussions were also held with family members of adolescents. The key enablers for Care Group participation by adolescent mothers were found to include the motivation to learn how to take care of their children, the social and interactive benefits, family support, and positive facilitator attitudes. Key barriers to participation were workload and chores at home, lack of family support, and lack of adolescent-friendly approaches amongst facilitators. Key recommendations include training facilitators on adolescent-friendly approaches and group dynamics so they can better understand and relate to adolescents.

Is participation in Care Groups associated with enhanced diet quality amongst women and children? Experiences from Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-34
Author(s):  
Pamela Ncube-Murakwani ◽  
Craig Nyathi ◽  
Mutsa Dzimba ◽  
Sijabulisiwe Dube ◽  
Shamiso Moyo
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Contact Point ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Animal Source Foods ◽  
Animal Source ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
Nutrition Practices

The Amalima program, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace intervention, has been promoting Care Groups from 2014 to 2020 in a resource constrained setting in Zimbabwe. Care Groups are community-based peer-to-peer support groups for mothers, which provide a platform for promoting recommended maternal, infant and young nutrition practices. The researchers conducted a study to compare the quality of the diet for children and mothers participating in Care Groups and children and mothers not participating in Care Groups. The research was conducted in two districts (Gwanda and Tsholotsho) in Zimbabwe across 8 purposively selected sites, six years after project implementation began. A total of 242 children aged 6 to 23 months and 168 women beneficiaries were included in the study. We analysed consumption of the three non-staple food groups promoted by the Care Groups under the theme ‘Four Star Diet’ namely vegetables and fruits, legumes and animal source foods. Our results showed that children whose caregivers were members of Care Groups had a higher consumption of pulses and legumes (29% vs 1%; p = 0.00001), fruits and vegetables (33% vs 18%; p = 0.00104) and animal source foods (59% vs 26%; p = 0.00001) compared to children whose caregivers were not Care Group members. There was no difference in diet quality between women participating or not participating in Care groups. Efforts should be put in place to increase participation in Care Groups, as they serve as a key contact point to support recommended infant and young child nutrition practices during the first 1000 days of life. There is a need to explore barriers to Care Group participation and develop a strategy to address the barriers for non-Care Group participants. Future programs should explore the reasons behind the limited impact that Care Group attendance had on the diet quality for women.

Growth monitoring

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Working Group ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
World Health ◽  
Growth Chart ◽  
Growth Monitoring ◽  
Maternal And Child Nutrition ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Uk

The subject of how growth should be monitored and recorded was addressed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Growth Chart working group in the process of developing and implementing the UK-World Health Organization growth charts between 2008 and 2012. The group developed chart instructions and supporting educational material, drawing on the collective views of focus groups, stakeholder meetings, and the considered views of the working group. These have been expanded or modified where there is newer relevant evidence and the section is also informed by the 2008 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on maternal and child nutrition and the new guideline on faltering growth.

Characterization of Interventional Studies of the Cholera Epidemic in Haiti

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-181
Author(s):  
Jessica Miller ◽  
Marvin L. Birnbaum
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Publication Type ◽  
Cholera Epidemic ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn October 2010, the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP; Port au Prince, Haiti) reported a cholera epidemic caused by contamination of the Artibonite River by a United Nation Stabilization Mission camp. Interventional studies of the subsequent responses, including a descriptive Methods section and systematic approach, may be useful in facilitating comparisons and applying lessons learned to future outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to examine publicly available documents relating to the 2010 cholera outbreak to answer: (1) What information is publicly available on interventional studies conducted during the epidemic, and what was/were the impact(s)? and (2) Can the interventions be compared, and what lessons can be learned from their comparison?A PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, Maryland USA) search was conducted using the parameters “Haiti” and “cholera.” Studies were categorized as “interventional research,” “epidemiological research,” or “other.” A distinction was made between studies and narrative reports. The PubMed search yielded 171 papers, 59 (34.0%) of which were epidemiological and 12 (7.0%) were interventional studies. The remaining 100 papers (59.0%) comprised largely of narrative, anecdotal descriptions. An expanded examination of publications by the World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland), the Center for Research in the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED; Brussels, Belgium), United States Agency for International Development (USAID; Washington, DC USA)-Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC), and US National Library of Medicine’s (NLM; Bethesda, Maryland USA) Disaster Literature databases yielded no additional interventional studies. The unstructured formats and differing levels of detail prohibited comparisons between interventions, even between those with a similar approach. Only two (17.0%) interventional studies included any impact data, although neither commented whether the intervention improved health or reduced incidence or mortality related to cholera. Agreed frameworks for guiding responses and subsequent reporting are needed to ensure reports contain sufficient detail to draw conclusions for the definition of best practices and for the design of future interventions.MillerJ, BirnbaumML. Characterization of interventional studies of the cholera epidemic in Haiti. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):176–181.

Maximizing Outcomes in Group Treatment of Aphasia: Lessons Learned From a Community-Based Center

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 100-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darlene Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Group Treatment ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Group Program ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Multiple Treatment ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Communication Impairments ◽  
Treatment Settings

Given the potential of long term intervention to positively influence speech/language and psychosocial domains, a treatment protocol was developed at the Stroke Comeback Center which addresses communication impairments arising from chronic aphasia. This article presents the details of this program including the group purposes and principles, the use of technology in groups, and the applicability of a group program across multiple treatment settings.

Slum Kampong Tourism “Jakarta Hidden Tour”: Designing Eco-Cultural Based Pro-Poor Tourism

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Retnayu Prasetyanti
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
System Thinking ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Economy Condition ◽  
Business Sectors ◽  
Community Movement

Forecasts of high tourism development in Jakarta, Indonesia, where massive poverty cases also exist, has directed tourism as a way of alleviating poverty; this is usually termed “pro-poor tourism” which involves multi variant stakeholders and interests. Jakarta has widespread poor areas called “slum Kampongs”, where government and business sectors are supported by international development agencies have tried to tackle down poverty by economy-community (eco-community) based development programs. However, distinguished from those programs, slum kampong development based pro-poor tourism is yet unsupported by bureaucracy agencies. “Jakarta Hidden Tour” (see “Jakarta Hidden Tour” in Trip Advisor) a “wild” tour activity which is promoted by community movement led by Ronny Poluan indicates a term of economy and cultural (eco-cultural) based slum kampong tourism that basically can pursue a better community development and economy condition through a unique culture and real life portrait experience. This paper analyses the dilemma of “Jakarta Hidden Tour” which is claimed as a poor exhibition while in another hand tries to offer a new design and approach of pro-poor tourism by utilizing thematic Kampong development with local culture excellences as such “Green Slum Kampong in Ciliwung river”, or “Sailor Slum Kampong in North Jakarta”. Key learn from Brazil with slum kampong tourism in Santa Marta is a motivation for government to live a recognition, that like any other global/industrial policies, tourism is highly driven by political interest. By conducting a system thinking perspective base, this paper analyses how “Jakarta Hidden Tour” and government’s supporting policy will ensure eco-cultural pro-poor tourism development and how stakeholders as a system’s element need to uphold poverty alleviation towards sustainability

How India Fights with COVID-19 with Learning from Highly Affected Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Sharma ◽  
Karan Veer
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Gene Sequencing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Very High ◽  
Breathing Problem

: It was 11 March 2020 when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the name COVID-19 for coronavirus disease and also described it as a pandemic. Till that day 118,000 cases were confirmed of pneumonia with breathing problem throughout the world. At the start of New Year when COVID-19 came into knowledge a few days later, the gene sequencing of the virus was revealed. Today the number of confirmed cases is scary, i.e. 9,472,473 in the whole world and 484,236 deaths have been recorded by WHO till 26 June 2020. WHO's global risk assessment is very high [1]. The report is enlightening the lessons learned by India from the highly affected countries.

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