Details
Nutrition Integration Meeting between BNPMC and FAO
A meeting was facilitated by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) between Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Bank & Multi-Donor Trust Fund-Nutrition Balochistan Nutrition Project for Mothers and Children (BNPMC) team at Serena Quetta. The aim of the meeting was to initiate discussion on possible linkages between the two investments supported by the Australian Government in Balochistan province.
The two projects have three common districts, namely Nushki, Kharan & Panjgur. DFAT is working on integrating nutrition into its development programs and has a draft discussion paper to take this work forward. This meeting was also aimed at bringing together the two investments to increase collective outcomes on nutrition.
Key points of discussion
Both programs gave a brief overview of their program activities. It was agreed that common ground between the two programs is community level work for behaviour change on nutrition practices, awareness raising and possible demonstrations of preserving food, setting up kitchen gardens and preparing healthy complementary foods for children 6 – 24 months.
- Out of the three common districts it was agreed to select two (Nushki and Kharan) for working together at the initial stage.
- AusABBA program is working in selected villages/Union Councils within the district, while BNPMC has complete district coverage with planned activities.
- It was agreed that the two programs can benefit from a partnership or by working together. Some options for collaboration include:
Sharing of IEC material and collaboration on behaviour change messaging on nutrition and agriculture/kitchen gardening to the common communities.
Training/knowledge sharing session/s conducted by the BNPMC team with community based organisations set up by FAO in the common districts on basic nutrition messaging and IYCF protocols.
Knowledge sharing by FAO team on their innovative monitoring/tracking system.
- As a first step FAO will review the composition of foods that are consumed at household level and identify how these can be improved by adding locally available vegetables/fruits in the market – FAO has a nutrition specialist who can undertake this work and/or bring in available resources.
- It was raised that FAO’s women facilitators and social mobilisers can possibly be trained to screen the children for undernutrition in the common communities.
The BNPMC team will consider this in the context of areas where less than 20 percent LHWs are reporting. Further discussions to be held with the FAO team at the plenary meeting.
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