India: Childhood Malnutrition Eradication Program
65 New Malnutrition Cases Identified: Q1 2017
May 23, 2017
Rakesh Dhole and Deanna Boulard
Summary of Activities
- Total rural tribal population in the 50 villages: 76,635
- Total households in the 50 villages: 16,446
- 225 meetings with Anganwadi workers were organized by RMF India’s CNEs during routine field visits.
- 10 meetings were organized with other stakeholders in the communities.
- Follow-up visits and continuous education were provided to families whose child or children were suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
- Our team started implementation of RMF’s social enterprise model, based on findings from RMF India’s social enterprise survey of 50 local villages and knowledge gained from our 2014–2015 Adolescent Girls Outreach Program that covered schools throughout 3 districts of Madhya Pradesh.
- During the reporting period, RMF India’s CNEs educated 2,000 women and girls on personal hygiene and encouraging them to use sanitary pads during their menstrual cycles. Through creating this awareness, 1,100 women and girls have adopted the use of sanitary pads.
- RMF India’s leadership team held regular meetings with CNEs and district coordinators to provide key support and supervision of field staff.
- RMF India’s leadership team made regular visits to field sites to provide key support and supervision of field staff.
- RMF India’s office was duly maintained, and staff members were provided with salaries and wages on time.

Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

65 New Cases
Identifying Malnutrition
- 12 new severe cases of malnutrition were identified for management, either within the community using service delivery platforms or in households, and/or referred to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs).
- 53 new moderate cases of malnutrition were identified for management, either within the community using service delivery platforms or in households and improved SAM to MAM cases.

Social Enterprise Program
Education on Personal Hygiene
2,000 women and girls have been educated on personal hygiene and the use of sanitary pads since implementation of RMF India’s social venture began in late January 2017. 1,100 women and girls have adopted the use of sanitary pads thanks to RMF’s new social enterprise program.

Community Outreach
Counseling and Education
- 1,918 family counseling sessions were conducted by RMF India’s Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs).
- 2,837 individuals (mainly women and adolescent girls) participated in the abovementioned family counseling sessions.
- 80 community education sessions were led by RMF India’s CNEs.

Background
& Objectives
Background
This project empowers communities through health literacy and connects rural communities with the government health and nutrition services available. This project aims to prove that a holistic, decentralized, community-based approach to malnutrition eradication will have better health outcomes, be more inclusive for children under 5, and will be more cost-effective in the long-run than centralized approaches, especially for rural, marginalized tribal communities. Our team of up to 75 Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs) and 6 District Coordinators has covered enormous ground across 5 districts and 600 villages in Madhya Pradesh.
Objectives
- To reduce the prevalence of underweight children under 5 years old and to reduce child mortality from malnutrition by strengthening communities and village level government facilities’ capacity to identify, treat, and prevent malnutrition.
- Continue to identify new SAM and MAM cases, refer complicated cases to the NRC and provide home-based counseling for all malnourished children
- Refer 1,000 SAM children to government centers for treatment with a 50% success rate Quarterly
- Conduct 2,500 Community Nutrition Meetings Quarterly
- Conduct 9,000 Individual Family Counseling Sessions Quarterly
- Send CNEs to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) to help counsel families present
- Continue to develop linkages with government health and nutrition services
- Strengthen institutional capacity with support from World Bank’s India Development Marketplace Award.

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Numbers
Served
During this reporting period, in addition to the 3,426 villagers who benefited from education and counseling sessions conducted by RMF India’s Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs), 128 children suffering from acute malnutrition were identified and/or received treatment:
- 65 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) were identified.
- 63 children suffering from SAM or MAM were treated, and their condition improved.


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Country Page: India
Initiative Page: Childhood Malnutrition Eradication Program