Guinea-Bissau: Promotion of a multi-level approach to child malnutrition
JOINT PROGRAMME QUICK FACTS
Total Budget $2,500,000
Delivery Rate
Participating Agencies WFP, WHO, UNICEF, FAO
Main Achievements
- 50 school gardens created to teach good nutrition practices to children; garden maintenance is being ensured by the communities.
- Locally-available food supplements are being provided in 28 health centers.
- Advocacy and communication plan developed, including partnerships with community radio, communities, regional authorities, teachers and citizens.
Contact Yussuf Koita, ykoita@unicef.org
Although Guinea-Bissau has made progress in reducing its child mortality rate, one in five children still die before reaching the age of 5 and a quarter of all children under 5 are moderately to severely malnourished. The UN Joint Programme “Promotion of a multi-level approach to child malnutrition” is aimed at reducing child malnutrition and mortality by improving the country's capacity to monitor and treat malnutrition and by promoting better nutrition and food practices.
More specifically the programme is:
(1) Reinforcing the capacities of existing health and nutrition rehabilitation centres to treat malnourished children;
(2) Building the capacity of 150 communities in the most vulnerable areas to promote basic nutrition counselling and surveillance;
(3) Developing nutrition activities such as school gardens at 150 community schools to teach children good nutrition practices and ensure that they eat vegetables at least once a day; and
(4) Building the capacity of the Ministry of Health to effectively monitor nutritional activities at the local level.