Nutrition Reinforcement Program

With support from Senegal's Nutrition Reinforcement Program, a program funded by the Senegalese government with support from the World Bank, Counterpart International (Counterpart) is building the capacity to manage moderate acute malnutrition in 25 rural communes in the health districts of Matam, Ranerou, Kanel and Pete.

Activities enhance community health systems and health structures with training, pharmaceuticals and monitoring to conduct child malnutrition prevention, screening, referral and treatment at the community level. The geographic region is characterized by isolation, aridity and high temperatures that hover around 122°F in the hot season. It is mainly inhabited by farmers and pastoralists who move with the changing seasons in search of water and pasture for their cattle. Acute malnutrition is a major problem in the region.

Recent Highlights: 

• More than 41,200 children (90 precent of children in the region) under 5 years of age have been screened for malnutrition. Among these children, 3,596 have moderate acute malnutrition; 216 suffer from severe acute malnutrition. More than 2,000 counseling sessions at the household level have been conducted thus far.
• Some 200 community health workers (CHWs) have been trained in preparing enriched flour using local foods (millet, corn, beans, peanuts and sugar) as a means to improve nutrition in children.  So far, 4.8 metric tons of enriched flour have been produced and purchased from CHWs and redistributed to malnourished children. The outcome is that income generating activities for CHWs, who are volunteers, have been created while building high motivation and increasing retention rates.

Photo: © Counterpart International.