Sustain IYCF for a bright future

IMC-International Medical CorpsApril 25, 2014

IYCF IMC area of interventionAkobo East in 4 Payams 78 IYCF mother

support groupMaban, Host community and in two camps

Gendrassa and Kaya (161 and 50 IYCF mother support group respectively)

Malakal (Initially 120 groups, now 75 same mothers have left the PoC)

Awerial, Kalthok Payam 48 IYCF groups members

How are this groups formedCommunity Nutrition Volunteers are trained on

IYCF mother support care group modelCommunity leaders informed/health actorsCNVs share this message with the mothers, in the

village or in a camp, share advantages of the model

In PoCs or Camp; it is done as per the settlement pattern such as block and women are encouraged for form their own groups

In stable and rural area where settlement is scattered, CNVs support mothers to form groups considering HHs near each other 10-15 HHs

Main activities of the IYCF mother support groupMeeting is bi-weekly as per groupSupported and supervised by Community

Nutrition volunteersIYCF charts are used to discuss various practicesMothers have time to share experiences, ask

questions, fears and difficulties, how to overcome and so on

Home visit of their group members that did not attend the session

Visiting mothers not in the group and sharing the messages, we learnt that when 2-5 mothers visit a home it was more appropriate that 1 mother.

Need for IntegrationWe noticed that some Mothers in the PoCs

are experiencing difficult in breastfeeding, due to fear, stress and worries

Need to IYCF partners to bring in other services such as psychosocial support services operating in the same groups.

Counseling should not be one time, but continuous.

Link Mothers to other services, support the disable, widows to be equally served in the community

Any Impact observed? AkoboCumulative score exclusive breastfeeding 0-5 moths

Baseline (Dec 2011) %

KAP (Nov 2012) %

SMARTSurvey 2013

Practice 64.2 81.9 84.6%

IYCF monitoring and reporting tools

LMs- Tally sheets, simple with use (tally) Checklist (CNV checklist, and SBC /assistant, SBC

Nutritionist check list) Exit interview for mothers in ANC and in from

maternity ward SBC assistant- Attending care group sessions and

providing guidance Report-Tally sheets complied by CNV- SBC

assistant-SBC nutritionist Impact /Triangulation with surveys (SMART &

KAP)

Challenges IYCF need to be strengthened at Health facility

level Need for more innovative IYCF messaging

(what other things can be attached to this? Other benefits to mothers in care groups)

Translations of IYCF counseling cards Traditional believes (colostrum is spoiled milk) More funds Men Involvement

 

Lesson learnt/best practices Sharing IYCF messages with a group of

women can be very instrumental, discussion forum

It is a great a venue to use nutrition feeding days to pass the messages

CNV selection done by local leader; so the aspect of working as a volunteer not seen

 

Way Forward or Recommendation

There is need to incorporate opinion women leaders in the community to help in dissemination of IYCF messages

Men needs to be inclusive, thus lobby and creating awareness to be intensified

IYCF guidelines need to be finalized More investment in IYCF

IYCF mother support group

Field events