Open AccessTools to improve planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of complementary feeding programmes
Author(s) -
Untoro Juliawati,
Childs Rachel,
Bose Indira,
Winichagoon Pattanee,
Rudert Christiane,
Hall Andrew,
Pee Saskia
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
maternal and child nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1740-8709
pISSN - 1740-8695
DOI - 10.1111/mcn.12438
Subject(s) - monitoring and evaluation , medicine , psychological intervention , equity (law) , context (archaeology) , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental health , process management , environmental economics , environmental resource management , business , economic growth , nursing , economics , paleontology , political science , law , biology
Abstract Adequate nutrient intake is a prerequisite for achieving good nutrition status. Suboptimal complementary feeding practices are a main risk factor for stunting. The need for systematic and user‐friendly tools to guide the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of dietary interventions for children aged 6–23 months has been recognized. This paper describes five tools, namely, Pro PAN, Optifood, Cost of the Diet, Fill the Nutrient Gap, and Monitoring Results for Equity System that can be used in different combinations to improve situation analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring, or evaluation approaches for complementary feeding in a particular context. Pro PAN helps with development of strategies and activities designed to change the behaviours of the target population. Optifood provides guidance for developing food‐based recommendations. The Cost of the Diet can provide insight on economic barriers to accessing a nutritious and balanced diet. The Fill the Nutrient Gap facilitates formulation of context‐specific policies and programmatic approaches to improve nutrient intake, through a multistakeholder process that uses insights from linear programming and secondary data. The Monitoring Results for Equity System helps with analysis of gaps, constraints, and determinants of complementary feeding interventions and adoption of recommended practices especially in the most vulnerable and deprived populations. These tools, and support for their use, are readily available and can be used either alone and/or complementarily throughout the programme cycle to improve infant and young child‐feeding programmes at subnational and national levels.