PROMOTING NUTRITION-RICH COMPLEMENTARY FOODS FOR 7-24 MONTHS OLD CHILDREN VULNERABLE TO MALNUTRITION IN POOR AREAS
 
Managing

agency: Ministry of  Health
Project owner:  Institute of Nutrition
Implementation location:  Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Quang Ngai.
Sponsor:  Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) funded through the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The project is based on a pilot research model in cooperation between the Institute of Nutrition and GRET/IRD: building a small-scale, technically and commercially sustainable production facility for nutritious powders targeting poor families through a community-based distribution mechanism. The product is produced in powder form with ingredients of rice, soybeans and sesame with added vitamins and minerals.

General objective:

Reduce the rate of malnutrition in poor rural children through improving child feeding practices including the use of nutritious powder for children aged 7-24 months.

Specific objectives:

- Increase the production of nutritious complementary foods (nutritious powder) for children at low cost.

- Develop and expand the system of selling and distributing nutritious powder based on the community along with promoting nutrition education.

- Identify obstacles preventing children from accessing nutritious powder.

- Develop a long-term approach and support for nutritious powder (as an available solution to prevent malnutrition).

Project activities:

- Build units to produce powder with high nutritional value and low cost: Establish 2 new units and upgrade 2 old units to produce nutritious powder for local young children at low cost.

- Nutrition education communication for mothers and community-based distribution (sale) of powder.

- Finding new solutions to bring nutritious powder to the poorest and most vulnerable people.

- Project management, monitoring and evaluation

- Plan: The project will be implemented in 3 years (2007-2010):

- Building a nutritious powder production unit in Thai Binh, while upgrading 2 old production units in Hanoi and Quang Ngai.

- Nutrition education communication and product distribution for children 7-24 months old in the project provinces will reach 20% in the first year, 40% in the second and third years.

Expected results:

- Increasing the accessibility of nutritious powder to children through 4 production units.

- An estimated 325,000 poor rural mothers with children aged 6-24 months have access to nutritious powder and nutrition education through the Women's Union's network of nutrition collaborators.

- Identify and test at least three distribution channels for nutritious infant formula products.

- Provide additional evidence for government to develop guidelines and action plans to improve the development, health and survival of young children.