What We Do
Objective
Our primary goal is to treat and prevent malnutrition in all its forms for healthy communities, with a focus on children under five, pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), and HWCs
What We Do
1. Nutrition Case Management.
Nutrition Case Management (NCM) is an approach to ensure systematic identification and intensive follow-up of all malnourished, relapsed, and at-risk children, and graduation of all cases out of malnutrition in 6 wards (Oldonyiro, Ngaremara, Chari, Cherab, Garbatulla and Sericho) within Isiolo county. The approach aims to strengthen linkages between the health facility and the community, improve access to IMAM services, strengthen adherence to IMAM protocols at community and health facility levels, improve linkages to and monitor enrolment and participation in complementary multi-sectoral services to support the management and prevention from future relapses. This is achieved by empowering families and supporting them to identify solutions to address their critical vulnerabilities associated with malnutrition, including those provided by Caritas in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Isiolo county. The approach utilizes 3 main domains (Health, Stable and Safe) in which 8 benchmarks are contained that help in identifying the gaps within the Households with these U5 malnourished children that the team prioritize in linking to Multisectoral services. Currently the team is following up 2475(195 SAM,2280MAM) children within the 6 hotspot wards in Isiolo county.
2. BFCI (Baby Friendly Community initiative)
BFCI is a multifaceted program for community-based breastfeeding promotion as an expansion of the ten-step baby-friendly hospital initiative, focusing on support for breastfeeding mothers after leaving the hospital. BFCI activities monitoring is crucial to foster the improvement of the maternal-infant and young child nutrition indicators, with a specific focus on optimal exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding and maternal nutrition. Caritas supports the monthly BFCI activities monitoring facilitated by the SCNO and SCCHFP aimed at improving MIYCN indicators across the County. Caritas aims to check on the progress of the MTMSGS on a monthly basis in line with BFCI steps and MIYCN topics. Mentorship and strengthening of MTMSG activities will be done on sight. There are 95 MTMSGs formed within the 6 wards with an aim of saturating more groups in the coming year.
BFCI Community Dialogue in Oldonyiro CU
3. Family MUAC
Family MUAC (or Mother MUAC as it is also sometimes called) is a community screening approach which empowers mothers, caregivers and other family members to screen their own children for acute malnutrition using color-coded MUAC tapes. Family MUAC approach was identified as simple and easy to use method to enhance timely detection and subsequent treatment of acute malnutrition. Early detection and referral has been linked to good prognosis, reduced treatment period, low cost and overall positive health outcomes. Caritas is supporting in monitoring of 18 Community Units within Isiolo county.
4. Integrated Outreaches
Isiolo County has poorly distributed health facilities and logistical challenges, majority of the populations in the counties face challenges accessing health and nutrition services. The situation further worsens during drought emergencies as populations spend much of their time looking for water and pasture. Populations largely depend on integrated outreach services to access health and nutrition services. Without outreaches, the vulnerable pastoralist community are left with inadequate access to health and nutrition services, especially for the malnourished children. The services offered during outreaches include Health Education, Immunization, Growth Monitoring, Vitamin A supplementation and Deworming, as well as Treatment of minor ailments. Caritas supports service delivery through outreaches in Isiolo County with two cycles of outreaches each month in each of the target sites (17) Oldonyiro, Ngaremara, Merti and Garbatulla.
5. Capacity Building and System Strengthening
Caritas in collaboration with other partners and stakeholders supports capacity building of HCWs and CHPs through various trainings within the 6 malnutrition hotspot wards offering trainings and OJTs on various areas MIYCN, cBCFI, IMAM-Surge, HMIS, ICCM. This is done through various platforms like monthly meetings for CHPs and HCWs, CNFT and DQAs. This has led to improved surge preparedness by the health facilities and better provision of health care services across the wards.