Child Health

Lafiyayyan Yara (Healthy Child) – Reducing Infections Disease Among Children Under Five (RIDCU) Bade LGA, Yobe State

The Lafiyayyan Yara (Healthy Child): Reducing Infectious Disease among Children under Five (RIDCU-5) project was a 27-month private donor funded project implemented from October 2021 through December 2023. The project strengthened health systems in Bade Local Government Area (LGA) of Yobe state by providing required equipment and medication for health facilities, increasing capacity of health personnel to use approved diagnostic methods, and engaging the community to improve uptake of health services.
The primary objective of the evaluation was to assess the project's performance and document its achievements, challenges, and best practices to guide future similar programming; and provide recommendations to CARE Nigeria and its partners to make informed decisions and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of future initiatives.
Effectiveness
Evidence from the desk review showed that the project made remarkable progress towards reducing mortality in under-5 children through a community-based health systems strengthening approach that ensures that communities receive a core package of services. The major factors that influenced the effectiveness and achievement of the project results were the use of community structures (community health volunteers, model mothers, and community-based surveillance focal points), capacity building, the referral system and the Social Analysis and Action (SAA) approach through community dialogues, supportive supervision, routine monitoring visits and facility health promotion session. The SAA approach also helped to shift practices related to family planning, immunization and poor health seeking behavior, as evidenced from the qualitative findings.
Efficiency
In both the design and implementation of the project activities, CARE International RIDCU5 team ensured that the project was efficient. The project design allowed the RIDCU5 project to train and work with community members as volunteers and adequately build their capacity and work collaboratively with local partners and relevant stakeholders. The use of community structures and local partners made the project implementation cost effective and created the opportunity for sustainability.
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The project’s design engaged community volunteers1 to serve as model mothers, community-based surveillance focal points, feedback and accountability volunteers, and community health volunteers, has enabled the project to increase community mobilization through a cost-effective approach. Through the community referral system, and health promotion sessions, many women were reached through the activities of the community volunteers.
Impact
Findings showed that the objectives and activities of the CARE RIDCU5 project were relevant in addressing the humanitarian needs of Bade Local Government communities. The weekly dialogue session with model mothers helped to address social norms and practices that negatively impact maternal and child health and the strengthened detection and referral of infectious disease (acute respiratory illness, malaria, diarrhea, and measles) through community-based surveillance (CBS) that included door-to-door visits and referrals for care. Also, health promotion sessions and supportive supervision in the 22 health facilities of the implementation contributed to quality of services. The project was able to respond largely to the needs of the target groups, including Community Health Workers (licensed and volunteers); children under five and their caregivers; pregnant and postpartum women and adolescent girls through support to strengthen referral systems, community engagement approaches to improve health behaviors and accountability of the health system as well as capacity building and provision of supplies and equipment to improve health service delivery.
Sustainability
The involvement of community volunteers assisted in the community ownership of the project. At present, community volunteers and community leaders, who benefited from the training conducted by CARE International, are engaged in community mobilization and awareness creation among community members on various aspects of the project. Respondents reported that that through the knowledge gained from CARE international, they were able to strengthen their cooperation among each other. The project has also built the capacity of the local partners and community members in a sustainable way through supportive supervision and training for health care workers and volunteers to improve and enhance their capacity to diagnose and detect infectious diseases. Read More...

Uganda: Food insecurity a pressing concern

The Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) was a 38-month long project (January 2020 to February 2023) with an aim to improve food security, maternal and child nutrition, and household incomes for smallholder farmers in 11 districts of Uganda. The project has three major outcomes: increased production of diversified food by both men and women smallholder farmers, enhanced market accessibility for these farmers, and improved nutrition and family planning services through gender responsive community-based approaches. As a result, here was a significant 16.3% increase in adoption and production of diverse food crops and animal products, as well as 23.8% increase in the adoption of climate-smart technologies among the project participants. Read More...

SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE EXPERIENCIA “COMEDORES PARA LA PREVENCIÓN DE LA ANEMIA EN NIÑOS Y NIÑAS DE 6 A 36 MESES DE EDAD

El proyecto de ayuda humanitaria “Alimenta su Fuerza” en su segunda etapa, fue ejecutado por CARE Perú y financiado por el Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP); su continuidad nació de la iniciativa para dar respuesta a la crisis alimentaria generada como consecuencia de la emergencia sanitaria por COVID-19 debido a medidas restrictivas que afectaron el ingreso económico de muchas familias y con ello la posibilidad de cubrir necesidades básicas. El proyecto tuvo como finalidad mejorar la seguridad alimentaria de la población en situación de vulnerabilidad, brindando apoyo alimentario con raciones nutritivas a través de espacios estratégicos como los comedores auto gestionados adscritos al Programa de Complementación Alimentaria de los gobiernos locales, a su vez de forma complementaria se incorporó un piloto para la prevención de la anemia en niños y niñas de 6 a 36 meses, que consistió en la entrega de preparaciones que incluyeron alimentos fuente de hierro, para ello se articuló acciones con establecimientos de salud y agentes comunitarios de la zona, así mismo se brindó acompañamiento a las madres o cuidadoras de los niños y niñas para que mejoren las prácticas de alimentación y accedan a los servicios de salud para la prevención y reducción de la anemia. Read More...

HYGIENE AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COALITION (HBCC)

CARE International in UK secured funding from Unilever-DFID to implement a Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition (HBCC) project. The project aimed to support communities respond to the Covid-19 pandemic through a multi pronged approach. CARE International implemented an extensive mass media, digital and interpersonal hygiene promotion information and messaging campaign in communities and institutions supported by the provision of water supply and handwashing kits and infrastructure as well as relevant PPE, as per context.

In Zimbabwe, the project was implemented in four provinces of Manicaland (Buhera & Mutare districts), Masvingo (Zaka & Chivi districts), Midlands (Zvishavane & Mberengwa districts) and Mashonaland West (Norton district) over a period of one year. The aim of the project was to minimize the transmission of and harmful impact of COVID-19 by delivering inclusive and interactive gender responsive mass media and digital communications, supported by product availability and community interventions that improve personal and environmental hygiene practices, and reduce stigma and discrimination. As a culmination of the project led to this independent endline review of the outcomes and impacts of the project. Read More...

Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project in Schools Implemented in Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Zaka Districts

In response to the prevailing situation, UNICEF is supporting the National Action Committee for WASH in implementing WASH in Schools Project. The project is being implemented in 3 districts namely Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Zaka in Zimbabwe by CARE International. Lack of access to sanitation and water facilities are major contributing factors for WASH related diseases like diarrhoea and school dropouts among children with special needs (disability, girls who have reached the age of menstruation). WASH in school programmes have been identified as one way which results in health benefits as well as improved educational outcomes. Therefore, WASH in schools helps fulfil children’s rights to health, education and participation. Increased school attendance and equitable access and retention of disadvantaged children will be attained through improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene in schools. [64 Pages] Read More...

McGovern-Dole Food Fore Education Program HATUTAN – Midline Evaluation

The HATUTAN program (Hahán ne’ebé Atu fó Tulun ho Nutrisaun no Edukasaun or Food to Support Nutrition and Education) is a five-year initiative to build a partnership between schools and communities in order to improve literacy, learning, healthy, and nutrition for children and adults in Timor-Leste. The program works in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste and development stakeholders to address two strategic objectives: improved literacy of school-aged children and increased use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices. The HATUTAN program is funded by the U.S. government through the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture under the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. The program is implemented by a consortium led by CARE International with Mercy Corps and WaterAid. The lead Timorese government partner is the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of State Administration, and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

To achieve these objectives, the program supports, among a variety of activities, the Government of Timor-Leste’s school feeding program (SFP) to fully operate in all basic education and preschools throughout the school year. Key project activities include strengthening and supplementing the government-sponsored SFP and building school capacity through trainings for teachers and administrators and provision of resource materials. Additionally, the HATUTAN program seeks to support farmers to boost the production of local produce to increase yields and help create sustainable sources of nutritious food for local schools. In addition to activities related to literacy and SFPs, HATUTAN seeks to conduct trainings related to nutrition, health, and other topics, and to promote gender equality and the reduction of gender-based violence.

This report presents the midline evaluation of the HATUTAN program, which began in early 2019. It is important to note that restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a substantial impact on program activities and target outputs and outcomes. In March 2020, HATUTAN field activities were halted, field offices were temporarily closed, and staff began to work from home due to a State of Emergency issued by the Government of Timor-Leste. This State of Emergency remains in effect to date, with varying levels of restriction on school activities, movement, and group gatherings. As a result, the HATUTAN program is behind schedule in terms of some major deliverables due to COVID-19. Read More...

Programme Sante USAID/Kenya Ciwara Rappor D’Analyse de L’Enquete D’Evaluation Finale

The program is part of Strategic Objective 6 (SO 6) which aims to increase the use of high impact services and improve health behaviors / practices. These services relate to the survival of the child (vaccination, malaria, diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, nutrition and vitamin A). The final evaluation takes place two years after the mid-term evaluation and four years after the baseline evaluation. The report is 55 pages long. Read More...

Evaluation Finale du Project USAID/Nutrition WASH

The Mission of the United States Agency for International Development in Mali (USAID / Mali) through the NGO Care Internationale entrusted Kurugan Fuga Consulting with the final evaluation of the USAID / Nutrition and Hygiene project in the regions of Koulikoro, Ségou and Mopti in Mali. At the end of this program, which spanned a 5-year implementation period from October 2014 to September 2018 extended in 2019, its final evaluation was required. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the IRP's integrated nutritional strategy combining nutrition, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and breastfeeding women and children of less than 2 years. The report is 80 pages long. Read More...

Baseline Study of the Food for Peace Development Food Assistance Project in Mali Final

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace (FFP) awarded a contract for a development food assistance project in Mali in fiscal year (FY) 2015 to CARE International. The Human Capital, Accountability and Resilience Advancing Nutrition Security, Diversified Livelihoods and Empowerment (HARANDE) Project is implemented by CARE and its partners: Save the Children; Helen Keller International; Yam Giribolo Tumo; Sahel-Eco; and the Research and Technical Applications Group. The goal of the HARANDE Project—which means food security in Peulh—is to provide access to sustainable food, nutrition, and income security for 310,855 vulnerable household members in four districts (Bandiagara, Douentza, Tenenkou, and Youwarou) of the Mopti region in Mali by 2020. FFP contracted ICF to conduct a baseline study of the HARANDE Project in 2016 as the first phase of a pre-post evaluation cycle. The second phase will include a final evaluation, inclusive of an endline survey, in approximately five years. The baseline study includes a representative population-based household survey to collect data for key FFP indicators and a qualitative study to add context, richness, and depth to the findings from the household survey. The report is 434 pages long. Read More...

PROMOTION DE LA SANTE DE LA MERE ET DE L’ENFANT (PSME) Final

La vaccination et les services de planification familiale sont deux composantes importantesdes soins de santé primaire. La plupart des femmes en période post-partum prolongée souhaitent retarder ou éviter d’autres grossesses mais beaucoup d’entre elles n’utilisent pas de méthode moderne de contraception. Une analyse des données provenant de plusieurs pays a montré que les besoins de contraception non satisfaits chez cette population étaient très importants, allant de 45 % à plus de 80 % des femmes en post-partum (Borda and Winfrey, 2008). La planification familiale permet aux couples d’avoir le nombre d’enfants qu’ils désirent et de choisir le moment et l’espacement des grossesses, ce qui permet d’améliorer la santé de la mère et de l’enfant [48 pages]. Read More...

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