Improving nutrition for women, infants and young children

Project description

Title: Improving nutrition for women, infants and small children in rural areas in Tajikistan, Mother Infant Child Nutrition (MICN) Project
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Tajikistan
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, MoHSPP.
Overall term: 2019 to 2023

Context

The nutrition situation in Tajikistan remains difficult. In particular, women of reproductive age, infants and young children are severely affected by malnutrition and undernourishment. Over 20 per cent of children under the age of five have physical and cognitive growth disorders. Micronutrient deficiencies are also widespread. In addition, misconceptions about nutrition abound and are passed from mothers-in-law to young women and thus down through the generations.

In addition, poor hygiene practices increase the burden of disease and limit the body’s ability to utilise nutrients properly. Local health and advisory services provide scarcely any nutrition and hygiene advice. There is no targeted identification of malnourished children, which is why affected children often only receive adequate treatment from health workers when there situation becomes critical.

Objective

The Tajik government successfully implements its national health strategy to improve the food situation and thus the health of women of reproductive age, infants and young children, in particular.

Approach

The project develops the skills of health workers in nutrition and advisory services and in diagnosing  malnutrition and undernourishment.

Qualified volunteers and health workers in primary health care provide advice particularly to women, so that they change their food habits and prepare food hygienically (baby WASH concept), and thus improve nutrition for themselves and their children.

The project also supports the national cross-sectoral coordination group of the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) initiative.

Last update: August 2022