MNCH & Nutrition Project – Nari Maitree

MNCH & Nutrition Project

Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) and Nutrition Service Delivery for FDMN Communities at Cox’s Bazar District.

MNCH & Nutrition Project

Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) and Nutrition Service Delivery for FDMN Communities at Cox’s Bazar District.

Background:

The project aims to address critical barriers in Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) within the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (FDMN) and Host communities, residing in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Various crucial barriers include:

Limited Access to Healthcare:

The FDMN (Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals) and host communities face a substantial obstacle in accessing quality healthcare, resulting in adverse maternal and child health outcomes, including high mortality rates.

Malnutrition:

Malnutrition is prevalent among the communities, particularly affecting numerous children who suffer from acute malnutrition. This hampers proper growth and development, posing additional health risks.

Limited Knowledge and Awareness:

Many individuals within from the communities lack essential knowledge and awareness about SRMNCAH issues, contributing to poor health outcomes and preventable illnesses.

If these issues persist, maternal and child mortality rates will remain elevated, malnutrition will impede growth and development, and limited awareness will continue to lead to preventable illnesses. The vulnerable FDMN communities, displaced due to violence and persecution in Myanmar, currently reside in temporary settlements in Cox’s Bazar. The situation escalated dramatically in August 2017, with a massive influx of over 700,000 Rohingya refugees into Cox’s Bazar, straining already limited healthcare resources and exacerbating existing SRMNCAH challenges. Ongoing critical needs for quality Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) and nutrition services persist in Cox’s Bazar.

The project specifically targets the SRMNCAH needs of the FDMN communities in Cox’s Bazar, one of the poorest and most densely populated districts in southeastern Bangladesh, in addition to addressing the needs of the FDMN communities, the project places special emphasis on the host communities also. These vulnerable populations lack access to basic needs, including healthcare, making urgent assistance essential. Addressing these challenges is crucial for protecting their health and wellbeing. The large Rohingya refugee population has created a complex humanitarian situation, with potential implications for regional stability. Overall, resolving SRMNCAH issues is vital for the health, sustainable development, and regional stability of these vulnerable populations.

Contact For Internship:

+88-02-223314434

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MNCH & Nutrition Project

Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) and Nutrition Service Delivery for FDMN Communities at Cox’s Bazar District.

Project Goal:

To improve the health and wellbeing of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingya) and other Host communities living in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh by addressing their SRMNCAH needs.

Objectives:

To improve equitable access to and utilization of lifesaving and comprehensive primary health services including sexual, reproductive health, maternal health, neo-natal health, psychosocial support and non-communicable diseases for refugees and host communities in target locations
Improved maternal, infant and young child health and nutrition practices for PLW and children under 2 years, and increased detection and rehabilitation of children affected by malnutrition related skeletal disorder
Improved access to nutritious food for households with children under five, older persons, and pregnant and lactating women through home gardens, participatory cooking sessions and livelihood interventions
Provide lifesaving support by reducing the impact of any pandemics and disease outbreaks.

Major Activities:

1. Strengthening Health Systems: The project will work to strengthen the existing health systems by providing technical support, training, and equipment to the health workers. The project will also work to improve the referral system and linkages between health facilities to ensure that people receive comprehensive and quality care.
2. Community-based Interventions: The project will engage with communities to improve health-seeking behaviors, promote healthy practices, and increase the utilization of health services. The project will use community mobilization, health education, and behavior change communication (BCC) strategies to improve health outcomes.
3. Nutrition Interventions: The project will focus on improving maternal, infant, and young child nutrition through the provision of nutrition services and education. The project will also work with communities to promote home gardening, participatory cooking sessions, and livelihood interventions to increase access to nutritious food.
4. Capacity Building: The project will provide training and capacity building opportunities for health workers, community health workers, and other stakeholders to improve their knowledge and skills in providing comprehensive health services.
5. Pandemic Preparedness: The project will develop and implement pandemic preparedness plans to minimize the impact of pandemics and disease outbreaks on the health of the communities.

Target group:

Under two Children
Adolescent girls
Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW)
Women of reproductive age.

Working area: Ukhiya (FDMN Communities and Host Communities), Cox’s Bazar

Donor: CORE Group, USA

All Activities

Strengthening primary health care facilities and community-based health services to provide comprehensive services and increase access to care.
Conducting health education and awareness-raising activities on sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, neonatal health, psychosocial support, and non-communicable diseases.
Providing training to health care workers on delivering quality health services to refugees and host communities.
Developing and implementing a referral system for patients needing specialized care
Providing nutrition education to pregnant and lactating women and caregivers of children under 2 years on optimal maternal, infant, and young child feeding practices
Conducting growth monitoring and promotion sessions to detect and refer children with malnutrition-related disorders
Providing treatment and rehabilitation services for children with malnutrition-related skeletal disorders
Establishing breastfeeding support groups and providing breastfeeding counseling
Providing training on sustainable agriculture and establishing home gardens for households with children under five, older persons, and pregnant and lactating women
Conducting participatory cooking sessions to promote the use of nutritious foods in meal preparation
Providing livelihood interventions to improve household income and increase access to nutritious food
Conducting surveillance for disease outbreaks and providing timely response and treatment
Providing training on infection prevention and control to health care workers and community members
Developing and implementing a contingency plan for pandemic preparedness and response
Conducting awareness-raising activities on disease prevention and control measures

Major Achievements:

Delivered primary healthcare services and psychosocial support to 627 patients till January 2024, implementing a referral system for those requiring specialized care.
Conducted capacity development for 20 government healthcare workers in Ukhiya, focusing on Quality Service Delivery, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Hygiene Promotion, Menstrual Hygiene, and Food Hygiene.
Commemorated World AIDS Day in partnership with Upazilla Health Complex, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
Formulated a training module for educating community mothers on Promoting Nutrition Through Sustainable Agriculture and Establishing Home Gardens to improve household food access.
Implemented initiatives to foster the establishment of home nutrition gardens, aiming to inspire mothers and caregivers within the community to improve household food access.
Created and distributed 2000 brochures on SRMNCAH (Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health) among adolescent girls from different schools in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
Orchestrated 29 community awareness and education sessions on SRMNCAH, IYCF (Infant and Young Child Feeding), Maternal and Child Nutrition, Malnutrition-related skeletal disorders, and Malnutrition Prevention, featuring visually appealing festoons developed by the project team.
Collaborated with Upazilla Health and Family Planning Officer (UHFPO) to organize breastfeeding counseling sessions at all community clinics and Jaliapalong Union of Ukhiya. Established 11 breastfeeding support groups to promote breastfeeding among community mothers.