NUTRITION
NUTRITION
PACs nutrition interventions are designed to improve the nutritional status of individuals or populations, especially those at risk of malnutrition. These interventions aim to address various forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight/obesity. Below are key types of nutrition interventions, categorized by their approach:
1. Nutrition Specific Interventions
These interventions are targeted at improving the immediate food and nutrient intake of individuals and are often implemented in response to malnutrition emergencies.
Treatment of Acute Malnutrition
- Supplementary Feeding Programs: Targeted supplementary feeding in cases of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) using fortified blended foods (e.g., corn-soy blend) or ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSF).
- Therapeutic Feeding: Specialized nutrient-dense therapeutic foods (e.g., Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods, or RUTFs) are provided to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children under five.
- Provision of intensive medical and nutritional care to children, suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications through Stabilization Centres. This plays a critical role in the management of malnutrition emergencies, helping to stabilize the health of the most vulnerable before transitioning them to less intensive care in the community.
Micronutrient Supplementation: This involves providing essential vitamins and minerals to populations at risk. For example:
– Vitamin A supplementation for children to reduce the risk of blindness and infections.
– Iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women to prevent anemia.
– Zinc supplementation to reduce diarrhea-related mortality in young children.
2. Nutrition Sensitive Intervention through Behavior Change and Education Interventions
These interventions focus on improving knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food choices, feeding practices, and hygiene.
Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Counseling
Breastfeeding Promotion: Encourage early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding with complementary foods up to two years of age.
Complementary Feeding Education: Educate caregivers on introducing nutrient-dense complementary foods to infants after six months while maintaining breastfeeding. By adopting activities such cooking demonstrations at community level, PAC is able to strengthen activities geared at infant and young child feeding.
3. Health System Strengthening for Nutrition
By integrating nutrition into primary healthcare systems PAC is able to sustain improvement in nutrition outcomes. This is achieved through:
- Nutrition Screening and Counseling
We integrate nutrition assessments (e.g., mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement, weight-for-height monitoring) into routine health services for early detection and referral of malnutrition cases at community and facility levels.
We provide individualized nutrition counseling to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and caregivers of young children to address specific dietary needs.
- Maternal and Child Health Programs
During antenatal care visits, we promote adequate nutrition during pregnancy through dietary counseling and supplementation programs (e.g., iron-folic acid supplements and deworming).
We promote regular monitoring of child growth (weight and height) for all children under five receiving health services in PAC supported sites.
Treatment of minor illnesses for children under five that would impact on their daily energy needs and predispose to malnutrition.
