IFOSOF News - Achievements and Stories in the Fight Against Malnutrition

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HEALTH

 

January 07, 2023

 

 

By 2025, IFOSOF's health program aims to ensure that newborns, children, and adolescents, especially those who are most disadvantaged or living in humanitarian situations, can access and benefit from quality integrated health and nutrition services, as well as a clean and nurturing environment. This will be achieved by increasing the capacity of government and stakeholders at national and subnational levels, enabling them to provide families and communities with the services they need.

 

The following integrated IFOSOF packages will be available in development and humanitarian settings:

 

  • Quality services for pregnant and lactating women, including adolescents, and newborn babies;
  • Essential preventative, promotive, and curative services for infants and young children;
  • Quality services for adolescent boys and girls, including HIV prevention, healthy lifestyle promotion, and risk reduction;
  • High-impact nutrition interventions for infants, children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age
  • Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

 

 

Our program aims to make significant progress by ensuring that:
• Families and communities in our care adopt positive nurturing practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood.
• Mothers and newborns receive a quality package of antenatal, postnatal, and newborn care.
• Children are vaccinated and can access treatment for common childhood diseases, especially malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
• Caretakers are informed and can access services and support to prevent nutritional stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies, and treat severe acute malnutrition.
• Adolescent boys and girls receive comprehensive prevention interventions to reduce HIV and early pregnancies, build resilience to substance abuse and mental health issues, and have access to comprehensive HIV treatment and care.
• Children, their families, and communities benefit from our efforts.

 

 

 

 

Throughout a 14-week program, we have provided education to expectant mothers and their partners on how to ensure the health of their newborns. Our approach to healthcare extends beyond just household food production and considers various other factors that may contribute to malnutrition. 
As malnutrition is a complex issue, we acknowledge that there is no one solution. Therefore, our healthcare program equips families with comprehensive knowledge to address malnutrition from all angles. 
In addition to lessons on topics such as handwashing, hygiene, and family planning, we offer a safe platform for families to discuss sensitive topics that may hinder progress towards a healthy life. These include mental health, gender-based violence, traditional healing, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

 

If you would like to help, please contact:

info@ifosof.org

 

Written By:

 INITIATIVE FOR SOURCED FEEDING 

Our Children

Our Community Children

Our community has a group of children who are under our care. We have been taking measures to improve their feeding and nutrition, and we are delighted to see significant improvements in their health and overall wellbeing.

Our Children

Now with Hope

Imagine the joy on the faces of these children who were once malnourished and fragile, but with the right care, feeding, and monitoring, they have made an incredible comeback and are now thriving with robust health!

Happy

IFOSOF Children

Just look at those happy faces! These children come here every week to play, and it warms our hearts to see their liveliness and hope restored. It's truly inspiring to witness joy returning to their lives, and we feel grateful to be a part of their journey.

OUR IMPACT 

We firmly believe that it is our joint responsibility to make a positive impact on children and communities as a whole.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

At IFOSOF, our Monitoring and Evaluation team plays a pivotal role in partnering with local community leaders and healthcare professionals to identify and support vulnerable populations, particularly malnourished children, pregnant women, and individuals in severe stages of malnutrition within the community. This comprehensive process involves the systematic collection of pertinent information to ensure that tailored assistance is promptly delivered to those in need.

For pregnant mothers who haven't attended antenatal care or cases requiring urgent attention, the team takes immediate steps to seek medical assistance, often by locating nearby health centres. Home visits and surveys are conducted with the collaboration of government representatives, enabling a thorough evaluation of the nutritional status of mothers and children in each household. These assessments encompass an examination of their engagement in healthy practices and habits. Additionally, if necessary, the team scrutinizes the daily diet of individuals to precisely determine the appropriate form of assistance required, fostering a targeted and impactful intervention strategy.

 

 

Improving Nutrition

Hey there, did you know that when children face the tough diagnosis of moderate or acute malnutrition, they get more than just medical attention? In our nutrition education program, we're not just about healing bodies; we're about nourishing souls too. Caregivers and parents walk away with a treasure trove of insights—from complete infant and child feeding tips to the nitty-gritty of care practices, hygiene hacks, and even the secret sauce of illness prevention. Oh, and we sprinkle in a dash of psycho-social support for good measure.

Now, here's the exciting part—we're on the brink of a digital revolution! Picture this: a digital platform that effortlessly registers each child, helping us keep a finger on the pulse of their progress in the community. It's not just about efficiency; it's about ensuring that every child gets the tailored care they deserve.

Our monitoring and evaluation maestros, in cahoots with health centres in our community, play detective with the weight and height of malnourished children. Why? Because it's the secret sauce to preventing severe malnutrition and ensuring that every kiddo in the household is on the path to superhero-level nutrition and feeding practices.

But guess what? We can't do it alone. With your superhero cape on, and your continued support and partnership, we're not just providing care; we're ensuring that every child in our community gets the support they need to unleash their inner superhero and thrive.
Ready to join the mission? Let's make magic happen together! 💫