Stunting

SPRING/Ghana Presents WASH 1,000 at the 39th Annual Water Engineering and Development Centre Conference

In July, the annual Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) conference, “Ensuring Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All,” was held in Kumasi, Ghana. SPRING/Ghana took advantage of this in country opportunity to host a side table event to present on its nutrition sensitive WASH activities in the Northern and Upper East Regions. SPRING/Ghana WASH Advisor, David Nunoo, and SPRING/DC WASH Technical Advisor Steve Sara presented on the WASH 1,000 approach.

Evidence-Based Evolution of an Integrated Nutrition-Focused Agriculture Approach to Address the Underlying Determinants of Stunting

Maternal & Child Nutrition, May 2016.

“When a King has Good Counsellors, His Reign is Peaceful”

To draw leaders’ attention to the problem of stunting and their role in improving young children’s nutrition outcomes, SPRING/Ghana produced a 24-minute advocacy video. The video explores the extent of the problem of stunting in northern Ghana, describes what can be done by leaders and household heads to improve nutritional outcomes during a child’s first 1,000 days, and features leaders in northern Ghana who are working to influence their communities (and particularly male heads of households) to take action for a brighter future.

Coordinating Nutrition Action in Asia

Experts from across several sectors are meeting this week in Bangkok at the Asia regional Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy Global Learning & Evidence Exchange (MSN-GLEE) hosted by SPRING in partnership with USAID. This diverse group of USAID Mission staff, implementing partners, and academics will discuss multi-sectoral approaches to address malnutrition and plan for global action. The attendees represent programs in social and behavior change communications (SBCC), humanitarian response, agriculture, women’s empowerment, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

The Relationship between Agricultural Biodiversity, Dietary Diversity, Household Food Security, and Stunting of Children in Rural Kenya

Food Science & Nutrition, 2016.

Increasing Access to Quality Nutrition Services Through Trainings

Two women smiling during training SPRING conducts trainings primarily for health care providers at the national level and in its implementation areas to deliver high-quality nutrition services and counselling.

Baseline Nutrition Survey in the Kyrgyz Republic

Photo credit: Tim Williams, SPRING

Executive Summary

To combat undernutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic, SPRING is implementing a comprehensive, multisectoral program to influence 11 nutrition-related behaviors that are linked to stunting and anemia:

Guinea Nutrition Assessment

Prior to the Ebola virus disease outbreak (EVD) outbreak in Guinea in 2014, 76.6 percent of children 6 to 59 months were anemic and 31.2 percent were stunted (DHS 2013), reflecting an already challenging context for nutrition.

"Great Mothers, Healthy Children” Campaign Helps a Community Improve Nutrition

At 57 years old, Bibiana is a seasoned Village Health Team member (VHT). She has served her community for over 30 years. She is a reputable “village doctor” and the first person whose opinion new mothers seek on how to look after their newborn babies.

Evidence of Effective Approaches to Social and Behavior Change Communication for Preventing and Reducing Stunting and Anemia

Evidence suggests that simply increasing knowledge and awareness of good nutrition practices rarely leads to sustained behavior change. In addition, sustained change in nutrition behavior is unlikely to be achieved through a single activity.