Activities

Year 1- Collating the Evidence

In the first year of the project, we reviewed the evidence for integrating nutrition interventions within various maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) policies and programmes.  This led to the development of a draft framework and tools that can help develop strategies to facilitate the mainstreaming process in different countries and different policy and program contexts.  A series of reviews of various critical issues confronting by nutrition programmes was commissioned. 

For more information on the MNI framework and tools or the reviews, see the side bar of this page.  

Year 2 and 3- Implementation and National Advocacy

The MNI draft framework and approach for integrating health and nutrition actions was first piloted in Viet Nam and is now being testing in Bolivia. In each of these countries, key MNI staff work closely with country focal persons to examine different issues pertaining to the mainstreaming of nutrition.

In Viet Nam, MNI is also working with Save the Children USA and the National Institute of Nutrition to strengthen capacity for the development of nutrition plans within the decentralized provincial planning process. Read more...

In Bolivia, MNI is providing technical support in Bolivia to the “Zero Malnutrition” (ZM) Program. Zero Malnutrition is the President proclaimed large scale centrally driven action for nutrition. MNI working intensively in the “illustrative municipality” of Betanzoz, in the Department of Potosi, helps the ZM (Zero Malnutrition) program to achieve clarity on the current structure. Read more...

In Pakistan, MNI supports the Aga Khan University operating a program which delivers enhanced packages of nutrition interventions in consultation with National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care in Naushero Feroz and Matiari, the two rural districts of Sindh. The project also assessed feasibility of micronutrient supplementation by the existing health systems (government’s Lady Health Worker program) for young children in the form sprinkle. Read more...

In Bangladesh, MNI in partnership with BRAC is examining feasibility of scaling up of child feeding services through the existing Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) program. Read more...

In Peru Help the National Nutrition Program (Crecer) by documentation of commit building process, assessment of commitment and capacities, and catalyzing a process for building consensus on key element or principles of effective and sustainable nutrition actions. Read more...

In Uganda, MNI worked with MOH, Uganda on capacity enhancement of public health practitioners on diarrheal case management and scaling up zinc in treatment of childhood diarrhea. Read more...

In Ethiopia, in collaboration of MOH, Ethiopia and UNICEF, MNI works for capacity enhancement of public health practitioners on diarrheal case management and scaling up zinc in treatment of childhood diarrhea. Read more...

MNI will also be supporting regional or country level workshops.  These workshops will help to identify opportunities for mainstreaming nutrition in a country or region, and to develop relevant context specific strategies for mainstreaming.

Other Activities:

1. Video on nutrition: Audio- visual communication has always been a strong media to disseminate awareness raising message. MNI was aware of this effective communication tools. Read more...
2. Study to appraise nutrition integration in health systems: It has been increasingly documented that lack of optimum functioning of health systems continue to pose a critical barrier to reaching health service to people. Read more...