Donor: Kano State Government with funding from the World Bank
Year/Duration of implementation: May 2021 to May 2024
Beneficiaries: Children 0 -59 months and Pregnant & Lactating mothers, Pregnant Mothers and Lactating mothers
Project Summary: In Nigeria, Stunting and micro nutrient malnutrition (hidden hunger) is the most common deficiency, 2 out of 5 children are stunted (44% of children in Nigeria are stunted). Exclusive breast feeding rate in the country is at 29%, while in Kano State, Vitamin A coverage stands at 37%, deworming at 32%, and 45%, of households, do not have access to portable water (NDHS 2018). The Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) is a World Bank financed project, to foster inter-sectoral collaboration to address nutrition sensitive issues in Nigeria. The overall goal is to increase the utilization of quality, cost-effective community based nutrition services for pregnant, lactating women and children under five years of age. The objective is to ensure that irreversible nutrition injury to growth, development and cognitive function of a child is averted.
Intervention The project engaged and trained 197 Community Health Workers (CHW) who is a permanent resident of the targeted communities. This is to help mitigate the current state of insecurity in many areas. The CHW provided nutrition counselling and administered nutrition commodities to mothers, infants, and young children at the community level. The CHW were supported with 1544 Voluntary Health Promoters (VHPs) who conducted door to door community awareness and recruitment of beneficiaries. The (VHPs) were recruited from faith-based organizations (FBOs) and existing community structures (CHIPS, VCMs, etc) from the major villages. For easy coordination and management, the project engaged and trained 19 Local Government Facilitators who provide supportive supervision and on-the-job mentoring to the CHWs. The LGA facilitator will provide and replenish supplies required by the CHWs on a regular basis, based on consumption, minimal stock, and a two-week lead time. PPFN procured, stored and distributed NAFDAC certified nutrition commodities. To promote community ownership and sustainability series of community engagements were carried out while the monthly LGA meeting provided an opportunity for accountability at the local level.
Outcomes/Results: In the last one and half years of implementation, the project has successfully reached beneficiaries with the following services:
- Over 780,000 pregnant and lactating mothers with Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) counselling. 5 contacts per beneficiary
- 667,194 Children 12-59 months (2 contacts per child) with deworming tablets
- Over 350,000 children 6-59 months (2 contacts per child)with Vitamin A supplementation
- Two sachets of Zinc/ORS for over 380,000 children 6-59 months for diarrhoea with counselling to use (2 contacts per child)
- Fifteen sachets of micronutrient powders for 444,769 children 6-23 months during each contact with counselling to use (@3 contacts per child)
- Thirty IFA supplementation tablets for 343,397 pregnant women with counselling to use (3 contacts per pregnant woman)
- One dose of SP (IPTp) for malaria for359,225 pregnant women (@ 3 contacts per pregnant woman
