In August 2016, SPRING’s Nancy Adero (Technical Advisor of Anemia and Micronutrients) and Danya Sarkar (Nutrition Specialist) conducted district-level workshops to support Uganda’s National Anemia Working Group (NAWG) in piloting the District Assessment Tool for Anemia (DATA) in Namutumba and Arua districts.
SPRING developed DATA to increase awareness about the multi-factorial nature of anemia and provide support for district-level planning and prioritization of anemia actions. The NAWG selected these two districts (along with Amuria) for the pilot, as they reflect the diversity of contextual factors related to anemia in Uganda.
As co-facilitators, Nancy and Danya assisted district managers in navigating the various components of the tool and conducting a decision-making process for prioritization of anemia program actions. Workshop participants included district officials from various sectors (health, agriculture/production, education, water and sanitation, planning), district administration, representatives from schools and community organizations, and health workers within the districts.
Participant feedback on the tool and its implementation was positive and is being considered for the remaining pilot in Amuria, as well as for potential scale-up of DATA in Uganda. The districts intend to implement the prioritized actions identified by the DATA process during Financial Year 17/18 to strengthen anemia reduction efforts across key sectors.
