scaling up nutrition phase ii newsletter

SCALING UP NUTRITION PHASE II

Government of the Republic of Zambia

Implemented by:

NEWSLETTER

First Edition 2020

In this edition

SUN II UPDATES Key developments in the last 12 months

FIELD VISIT IN FOCUS Highlights of trip to Mongu and Kalabo districts in Western Province

ELSEWHERE IN SUN Updates from SUN TA and GIZ FANSER

SUN II Newsletter • First Edition 20202

About SUN IIScaling Up Nutrition Phase II (SUN II) is a four-year programme (2019-2023) supported by the United Nations (UNICEF, WHO, WFP, FAO) and funded by the European Union (EU), the Federal Republic of Germany through the KfW Development Bank, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and UK aid from the British people. Lead UN agency UNICEF works in support of the government line ministries and the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC), as well as with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

SUN II delivers a multi-sectoral package of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, adopting coordinated approaches for service delivery to achieve impact on stunting by focusing on households with adolescent girls, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children under 2 years of age, and women of reproductive age. SUN II aims to reduce stunting in children under two by 7 per cent by focusing on these ‘1,000 Days Households.’

Zambia joined the SUN movement in 2010 and in 2013 launched the first 1,000 Most Critical Days Programme (MCDP I) as its blueprint for reducing stunting. The first phase of the SUN-supported MCDP I was from 2013-2017, with an interim period 2018-2019.

Welcome to the first edition of the Scaling Up Nutrition Phase II (SUN II) Newsletter! We are happy that we now have this platform

for sharing what is happening in the UN (UNICEF, WHO, WFP, FAO) supported initiative, supporting the 1,000 Most Critical Days programme, and generously funded by the European Union and the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the UK. We are also delighted that this Newsletter provides updates on SUN TA and GIZ Fanser as we work in harmony towards a common goal – reducing stunting in Zambia. NFNC is the national body coordinating the Scaling up Nutrition Programme as part of our mandate of coordination and as the advisory wing of the government on matters pertaining to food and nutrition.

In the past few months, I have been able to witness how all the stakeholders are committed to the programme – this is despite the COVID-19 pandemic which has engulfed the world. Amid the pandemic, NFNC and the ministries have been working to put things in place that will facilitate implementation of the programme, including the recruitment of technical staff such as a Nutritionist, Capacity Building Officer, M&E Officer, Advocacy and Social Behaviour Change Communication Officer and District Nutrition Coordinators.

The District Nutrition Support Coordinators support the District Commissioner’s office to convene

the multisectoral District Nutrition Coordination Committees, which are a critical part of the coordination structure in the 17 SUN II districts. Despite the pandemic, SUN II has conducted mapping and gap analysis at district level, followed by the development of one-year costed district plans. All districts have used the same planning tools to standardize and harmonize planning.

There are several differences between SUN phase I and SUN II. These include enhanced implementation strategies that promote comprehensive high impact nutrition interventions, converging on the 1,000 Days Households, supported by a strong social behaviour change communication strategy. The programme has also included support to adolescent girls (10-19 years).

SUN Phase 1 proved to be a great learning ground for all of us and has made it possible for us to come up with SUN II, which we hope will result in further reduction in stunting in the country. I want to commend all the stakeholders and all our cooperating partners for this great initiative.

We look forward to the improvement in nutrition indicators as we move forward together!

J.MOFU

Acting NFNC Executive Director – Mr Musonda J. Mofu

Welcome remarks

SUN II Newsletter • First Edition 2020 3

Based on an understanding of the determinants of malnutrition in Zambia and guided by discussions with NFNC and relevant government line ministries, SUN II has targeted 17 districts with a core package of high-impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions. The 17 districts being supported by

UNICEF are Chipata, Lundazi, Chiengi, Chinsali, Isoka, Mpika, Chongwe, Lusaka, Mwinilunga, Solwezi, Zambezi, Choma, Monze, Kalabo, Kaoma, Mongu and Shangombo districts.

UNICEF, USAID, GIZ and SNV A Harmonized Approach in Support of Scaling-Up Nutrition

SUN Phase II will ensure coherence with initiatives supported by other donors and cooperating partners for expanded coverage and stronger outcomes. Specifically, SUN Phase II will coordinate with USAID’s SUN TA and SUN LE, SNV’s Scaling SN4A, and GIZ’s FANSER to harmonize approaches, tools and resources for planning, implementation, management and monitoring of MCDP II activities funded under SUN across the initial 37 districts. A “rooftop” agreement was developed to guide collaboration between UNICEF, USAID, SNV and GIZ SUN activities. Parties to the roof-top agreement will meet regularly to review collective efforts and prioritize actions.

Under MCDP Phase II, the Government of Zambia (GRZ is building on national momentum around stunting reduction in 37 high priority districts, 17 of which will be administered by the United Nations. Of the 37 focus districts, 13 are supported through USAID under the Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) programme; four by the German government through GIZ’s Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience (FANSER) programme; 17 by UNICEF in support of MCDP II with technical assistance from FAO, WHO and WFP; and six (three overlapping) by SNV under the FCDO-supported Scaling Sustainable Nutrition for All (SN4A) programme.

Implementation principles are based on equity, impact and value for money; the learning and evaluation components will be supported by the USAID-funded SUN Learning & Evaluation (L&E) programme.

UN District Project Area

USAID District Project Area

GIZ District Project Area

SNV District Project Area


SUN II Aims to Achieve Four Key Results by 2023

Sustained practice of optimal nutrition behaviours amongst adolescents, pregnant women, mothers and caregivers of children under two

Sustained demand for and use of agriculture, health and WASH interventions for adolescents, pregnant women, mothers and caregivers of children under two and communities

Quality nutrition information is used by communities, government and partners for evidence-based decisions, action and advocacy.

Sustained commitment by government and partners for accountable nutrition governance

Lessons learned from the first phasePromising results were achieved during MCDP I/SUN Phase I in terms of improving the knowledge and practices related to dietary intake, breastfeeding practices and consumption of nutrient-rich food. Reduction in the prevalence of diarrhoea was also evident. However, there were several lessons learned that SUN II will have to address in order to achieve the desired impact in stunting reduction. Drawing from these lessons, the following principles will be applied in the next steps:

1. Stronger vertical coordination for more responsive nutrition interventions: Under SUN II, greater effort will be focused on engaging districts, wards and communities in planning, implementation and monitoring nutrition interventions.

2. Increased exposure of households to multiple nutrition interventions: Though stunting reduction requires improvements across multiple sectors, including agriculture, WASH, health, nutrition and women’s empowerment, only a small percentage of MCDP I households benefitted from interventions across all sectors. SUN II emphasizes greater convergence of multiple nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions, which requires more systematic targeting of households with pregnant and lactating women and children under two – and reaching these households with multiple interventions.

3. Build on successful social and behaviour change strategies: By working through community platforms such as Care Groups, health centres, schools and communities, MCDP I achieved positive changes in breastfeeding practices, nutrition and health knowledge, WASH behaviours and agricultural practice to enhance consumption of diversified food. SUN II builds on these successes by employing a coordinated social and behaviour change communication campaign, informed by formative research conducted by UNICEF in 2019 and drawing from relevant formative research conducted by UN agencies and donor-funded programmes. The campaign will expand communication avenues through religious, traditional and community leaders.

4. Strengthen management systems to facilitate service delivery: Weak financial management and inefficient financial flows from national to sub-national levels created bottlenecks around the ability to harmonize service delivery across line ministries under MCDP I. SUN II activities will build the programme and financial management capacity of DNCCs and line ministries to develop accurate budgets aligned to work plans through needs-based on-site coaching and mentorship, with support from NGOs.


How SUN Phase II is Targeting Beneficiaries and Converging Interventions

In consultation with NFNC, GIZ, SNV and SUN TA, SUN II has given careful consideration to how to target households and communities to ensure that all interventions come together to

support sustainable nutrition outcomes. In addition to reaching children and women in the 1,000 Days Households, SUN II will reach other members who often influence nutrition practices and behaviours – fathers, grandmothers and siblings. The entire community will be reached with a social change approach called community-led total nutrition and WASH activities,

Ultimately, children in these households will realize improvements in nutrition and development; women in these households will realize improvements in nutrition, health, agriculture, hygiene and sanitation practices through participation in Nutrition Support Groups, while also increasing income through savings groups and receiving technical assistance in improved agricultural practices. A smaller group of households, the Most Vulnerable 1,000 Days Households, will also benefit from participation in livestock pass-on and/or homestead gardens, resulting in diversification of the family diet.

1,000 Days Households: adolescent girls, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women and caretakers having children under 2 years of age, and women of reproductive age.

Most Vulnerable 1,000 Days Households: adolescence pregnancy, low-birth weight baby, under-weight pregnant women, and/or child with severe acute malnutrition

PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS SERVICE DELIVERY CHANNELS TARGET POPULATION

Response to Critical Situations Response to critical needs among nutritionally-vulnerable households directly or through referral: productive inputs, food relief and SAM treatment

Ministry of Health & DMMU Health facilities, public and private service providers, NGOs

SUN Most Vulnerable Households Households with adolescents pregnancy, low birth weight infants, maternal death, or under-weight pregnant women

Agriculture Increase year-round production, preservation, processing and utilization of nutritious food with market promotion

Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Lead farmers, public and private service providers, NGOs

SUN Agriculture Households Households with pregnant or lactating women or children under two

Health and Nutrition Promote good maternal, infant, young child and adolescent health, nutrition and care practices

Ministry of Health and Ministry of General Education Care Groups, public and private service providers, NGOs, school health and nutrition clubs

SUN Households and Schools Households with pregnant or lactating woman of child under two, adolescents in schools and community

Economic Dimension Form and support community savings and lending groups, and other empowerment initiatives

Ministry of Community Development Community savings and lending groups, small business groups, public and private service providers, NGOs

Women of Reproductive Age Women between 15-49 years of age

WASH Facilitate access to clean water and promote sanitation and hygiene behaviours: CLTS and baby WASH

Ministry of Water and Ministry of Local Government D-WASHE, Sanitation Action Groups, public and private service providers, NGOs

Communities All rural and urban households

Nutrition governance

Enhanced multisectoral coordination

Institutional capacity strengthening

Increased advocacy

Strengthened M&E research and learning

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SCALING UP NUTRITION IN THE 1,000 MOST CRITICAL DAYSPyramid Showing Minimum Package of Intervention


When her 3-year-old son tugs persistently at the chitenge cloth wrapped around her waist, Sholo Bishone picks him up and

pacifies him by handing him a wild indigenous fruit known in Lozi as Mahuluhulu – Monkey Orange in English. The juice of this fruit is rich in zinc, iron and vitamin C. Because of this, it is used in porridge to increase its nutritional value

In 2017, single mother Sholo was a beneficiary of Phase I of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) programme in Kalabo District, Western Province, receiving two goats (one male and one female) when her son was 7 months old. The goat milk helped nourish her son as she stopped breast feeding, made porridge for him and the family, and has since added meat to their diet as the livestock multiplied.

The 1,000 Most Critical Days Programme Phase 1 (MCDP I), through SUN, worked with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in the distribution of goats to households who have children below the age of two years, and pregnant and lactating women. As the SUN Phase II (SUN II) programme gets underway in her home district,

SUN Phase II – Building on the Foundations of SUN Phase I: Inspiring Stories from Western ProvinceBy Mainza Kawanu, Communications for Key Partnerships Consultant, UNICEF Zambia

Sholo’s goats are still alive and well, and the family is already on a firmer nutritional footing.

“I was very happy and excited to have received the two goats and six chickens after I heard about the pass-on project through the Ward Nutrition Coordinating Committee,” she said. “Before that, I had no source of income. But through the livestock, I have been able to send my oldest child to school as I was able to sell two goats after they started breeding and raise capital for inputs for my garden which is also flourishing,” she said. Sholo now has ten goats – even after giving away two of them to another beneficiary to sustain the practice in their ward.

According to Ms. Inonge Nosiku, Kalabo District SUN Coordinator, phase I of SUN utilized and enhanced a multi-sectoral approach to scale up nutrition in the district. “Including traditional and local leadership really made a significant impact within the communities especially in driving social behavioural change towards nutrition. We look forward to a second phase that will continue to build this coordination and include sub-districts in planning, consultative and feedback processes,” she said.

©UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Siakachoma

Sholo Bishone attending to one of the 10 goats she now owns through SUN Phase 1 intervention.


In the newsNim iligniendis nihilitatiur as et adit, nobis placcab

ipsundis apisinc iaerum se delecus dolorporerum iun

Village BankingIn neighbouring Mongu district, Mutumba Kaiwala of Namushakende community is another recipient of two goats from phase I of SUN. She also joined a village banking scheme under the programme. Mutumba entered the programme as a grandmother looking after a two-year-old grandson when her adult daughter left for studies. Through SUN, Mutumba was trained in how to prepare various types of foods and porridge enriched with nutrients to ensure proper growth of her grandson.

“After my goats began to reproduce, I joined village banking and got a loan to scale up my business,” she says. “I pumped that money into buying and reselling of fish and this is the fish you can see here today on this table. Our livelihood as a family has really improved as we now have more than one income stream.”

Village banking has many benefits and if managed well and used properly can move people out of poverty, reduce undernutrition and build sustainable livelihoods. A broad network of savings groups and trained facilitators exist across the 17 districts.

SUN II supports stakeholder analysis through District and Ward Nutrition Coordinating Committees to identify opportunities to link 1,000 Days Households to savings and lending activities. The programme will ensure women’s use of their own resources to start

savings schemes and technical support is provided by trained field agents. Social and behaviour change messages discussed in these groups will reinforce use of increased savings for investments in diversified food production and purchase of diverse foods through local markets.

“Grandmothers and mothers are an important driving force in community development,” says Mutumba. “Once they are empowered, even the nutritional status of the community changes. From the help I have received, I am now able to ensure my family has three nutritious meals a day,” she added, with a smile on her face.

As we discuss, another member of the village banking initiative, Nyama Kanyela joins the discussion. Nyama was given two goats, which have now increased to 10. When she joined the village banking scheme, she obtained a loan to boost her trade in tomatoes.

“I just want to say that I share her sentiments on empowering the grandmothers in communities. If you go around the villages, you will find that grandmothers are primary caregivers for one reason or another,” she says.

Thanks to the work under SUN I in districts such as Mongu and Kalabo, the national prevalence of stunting has fallen to 35% in 2018 for children under 5 - 29.1% in Kalabo district and 17.8% in Mongu District.

A sisterhood of success - four Village Banking Group

members including two sisters in Namushakende

Community.


8 Newsletter • October 2017SUN II Newsletter • First Edition 20208

Community volunteers for improved nutritionPart of what took place in the first phase of SUN, which continues under SUN II, is the training and support of community nutrition volunteers who play a key role under Ministry of Health as they work in the community to promote Infant and Young Child Feeding. The volunteers report to the health facility or the Community Health Assistant.

In Mongu District, we met Lubasi Mukelebai. When an antenatal visit picked up that she was expecting twins, she was matched with a community volunteer, Marjory Sililo. We met Lubasi at the Mother and Child Clinic at Sefula Health Centre, where she’s come for a regular growth monitoring check-up.

“I gave birth to them prematurely at 7 months,” says Lubasi. “My counsellor [Marjory], who had been with me from the time I was pregnant, taught me on the importance of infant and young child feeding practices, including the importance of exclusively breastfeeding my babies. I learned how this helps in the prevention of diarrhoea, abdominal pains and cramps which can cause a lot of restlessness and distress for them. Because of her care and consistency in home care visits, my children were never undernourished and have never been admitted to hospital for any illness since the time we were discharged at birth,” she says.

Lubasi Mukelebai with her three-year-old fraternal twins, Nosiku and Fred at Sefula Health Centre in Mongu.

The SUN II programme collaborates closely with health facilities, community health workers and community volunteers to deliver appropriate maternal nutrition assessment, counselling and effective referral services. These services connect women to essential community and facility-based health and nutrition services and ensure follow-up care and counselling within the household.



Marjory has been a community volunteer at Sefula Health Centre since 2010 and has been trained in growth monitoring and promotion, infant and young child feeding and outpatient therapeutic feeding care.

“As the babies were born premature, they were in a very delicate condition and one baby is hard enough but two can be quite challenging. I taught her how to feed them, the different ways she could hold them as she nursed them to avoid wearing herself out and even how to begin bathing them after they were removed from incubators,” said Marjory.

While looking at the babies with a sense of purpose, Marjory concluded by saying, “I used to walk 2 kilometers to their home to see them. Sometimes I would make two trips a day, one in the morning and one in the evening to see them. When I see the twins big and healthy now and consider how far they have come, I feel very fulfilled in my role as a volunteer.”

The twins and the other children and families we met in Western Province are a testament to the enduring legacy of the first phase of SUN. With SUN II underway, work will continue to strengthen community health structures so that stunting levels continue their downward trend in Zambia.

Marjory a community health volunteer

in Namushakende Community.



Highlights of SUN II – November 2019-November 2020

y In collaboration with NFNC, SUN II has been kick started in all 17 districts and in July 2020, Provincial and District Nutrition Coordination Committees were oriented on the programme.

y The 17 districts in the programme have been ‘regionalised’ into three blocks, overseen from Mongu, Chipata and Lusaka.

y Three UN to UN agreements have been signed, to define the scope of work among UN agencies:

» With FAO, to support production of diversified nutritious foods (vegetables and fruits, short cycle small livestock, poultry and fish legumes and bio-fortified foods); sustainable production, processing, and value addition of non-wood forest products for food and income; and promotion of food safety and diet quality.

» With WFP, for Economic empowerment for women of reproductive age; promotion of food safety and preservation to increase availability, access, quality and safety of nutritious foods for households; support NFNC to conduct analysis to inform nutrition programming; to work with the SUN Business Network to promote the development of nutritious, processed foods and their marketing; and contribute to the development of the SBCC strategy and SBCC toolkit.

» With WHO, for implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative; enhanced implementation and monitoring of legislation on the code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes; building capacity for health personnel for the in-patient management of Severe Acutely Malnourished children; and quality assurance for IYCF and SAM.

y Support was provided for the recruitment of four national-level NFNC staff and nine District Nutrition Coordinators.

y Supplies procured for the 17 districts in the period included:

» 18 vehicles (including 1 for nation level), computers, printers, furniture, workstations and communication equipment.

» Community volunteer materials, such as 15,000 gumboots, 5,500 aprons and other motivational materials.

» Anthropometric equipment, weighing scales and Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes.

» Personal hygiene and sanitation materials and disinfectants for the volunteers involved in Child Health Week to enable successful delivery of vitamin A and deworming for children under 5 years of age and for routine services targeting 1,011,264 children.

» 6,479 cartons of Ready to use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), one years’ supply for SAM management.

» 5.5 million Vitamin A capsules (200,000IU) and 735,300 vitamin A capsules (100,000IU) to cover the two rounds of Child Health Week in 2020.

y Printing of key documents in process. These include GMP training materials, Child Health Cards, brochures on breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling (IYCF) cards for community volunteers have also been prioritized.

y Contracting process for borehole drilling and rehabilitation in Muchinga Province has been concluded, in preparation to drill (90 boreholes) and rehabilitate (120 boreholes), after the procurement of 300 handpumps and 150 handpump toolkits was initiated. During the third week of November, drilling of water point have started in Chinsali, Isoka and Mpika

y Engaged a consulting firm for technical assistance for sanitation marketing.


SUN II - UN District Mapping and Gap AnalysisSUN II has taken a “tailor-made” approach to collaborate with partners implementing in the focus 17 districts by conducting district mapping and gap analysis at planning and design phases. This allows districts to build on existing interventions already ongoing, to avoid duplication and focus on specific gaps that remain to be addressed to reduce stunting. District mapping collects information on partners and resources and is used as the basis for developing multi-sectoral nutrition work plans. The mapping and gap analysis was conducted from 24 August to 18 September 2020 and provided information needed for planning nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive priority interventions in 17 SUN II districts.

The exercise was led by NFNC, with technical and financial support from UNICEF, in partnership with FAO, WHO and WFP. A set of comprehensive tools were developed for data collection, covering four main sectors at the district level: WASH; Health; Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; and Social Protection. Data collection was done using Computer Assisted Personal Interviews. The field teams were provided with tablets and internet for them to be able to enter and upload data using Kobo, an android-based application.

Development of District Multisectoral PlansThe determinants of nutritional status are multifaceted and multi-dimensional. An appropriate, well-coordinated, multisectoral response is needed to address malnutrition. For this reason, multisectoral nutrition plans are key to ensuring that various sectors and actors know what actions are expected of them to help achieve their nutrition objectives. Such a plan facilitates coordinated implementation and oversight of activities from the district down to household level and helps to maximize efficient and effective use of scarce resources.

In the 17 UNICEF supported SUN II districts, district staff developed evidence-based, prioritized district intervention plans. To develop the plans, district staff used data from the mapping and gap analysis, SUN L&E baseline survey, and other sources to identify most urgent nutrition issues in the district, identify critical gaps in service delivery and prioritize key interventions for implementation. Planning took place for eight days in October 2020 and all districts carried out the planning exercise simultaneously. A range of district staff participated, with many Heads of Department actively engaged. This exercise has successfully laid the foundation for SUN II in the 17 districts, now in the implementation phase.


Field Visit in Focus – Kalabo and Mongu, September 2020

In September 2020, NFNC and UNICEF visited Kalabo and Mongu districts of Western Province to document the benefits of the interventions

through interaction with District Nutrition Coordinators, community health workers and volunteers, and testimonials from beneficiaries of the SUN I programme.

The District Nutrition Coordinators coordinate planning and implementation of the first 1,000 Most Critical Days Programme in the districts in order to contribute to the reduction of all forms of malnutrition. They are critical in the implementation of multi-sectoral plans through the District Nutrition Coordinating Committees. UNICEF has so far supported the recruitment of nine district nutrition coordinators including advancement of financial support for their salaries.

“ I brought my one-year-old daughter to the mother and child clinic for her routine under 5 visits and did not have to wait in line to be attended to because men are prioritized to encourage more fathers to be involved in infant and child health.”

– Hudson Manda

The District Commissioner of Mongu, Mr. Bright Tombi Tombi, shares his sentiments during a courtesy call at his office by UNICEF and People In Need (PIN) NGO team.

Hudson Manda. After routine visit to Mongu Urban Clinic with his one-year-old daughter encouraging more men to accompany their

wives and children to the Under 5 clinics. ©UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Siakachoma


“When it comes to Scaling Up Nutrition, strive to work hand in hand with our district coordinators so that we cover specific areas of need in our districts with targeted multisectoral interventions and avoid duplication of efforts from various partners. When all our efforts are well coordinated, we broaden the impact on beneficiaries.”

– Mr. Bright Tombi Tombi


“Nutritional efforts are nothing without food security. Food security has been under threat in our district because of climate change and crops are also being ravaged by stalk borers and red locusts which have since emerged. We need an integrated approach to reduce stunting levels substantially.”

– Mrs. Fridah Luhila

The District Commissioner of Kalabo, Mrs. Fridah Luhila said this during courtesy call paid on her by UNICEF, PIN and Provincial Office teams.

Team UNICEF showing that attitude really is the difference between an

ordeal and an adventure as they attempt to push things along on

sandy terrain on the way to Sihole community in Kalabo District

©UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Siakachoma ©UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Siakachoma



Scaling Up Nutrition Partner Feature

Alongside the 17 districts supported by SUN II, GIZ Fanser is supporting 4 districts under the overarching SUN programme while SUN-TA

(USAID) is supporting 13 districts and SNV (FCDO) is supporting 6 districts (3 overlapping).

Volunteer day to re-establish the DNCC office in Petauke DistrictOn 17 October 2020, GIZ FANSER (Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience) organised a volunteer day to re-establish the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC) office in Petauke District, Eastern Province. The team wanted to create a conducive workspace space for the DNCC, where they can also host meetings and trainings. The volunteer day resulted in new paintings that included infographics, a new ceiling, installation of new doors and burglar bars, and provision of office equipment.

GIZ FANSER covers four districts and aims to establish and implement food and nutrition committees at the district level. In Katete and Petauke districts these committees will implement the “First 1,000 Most Critical Days Programme” which is supported by SUN. DNCC’s conduct stakeholder and needs analyses to identify points of collaboration strategies to reach 1,000 Days Households with the full complement of priority interventions.

Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA, USAID) supports establishment of Communication and Advocacy Technical Working GroupsIn October 2020, the Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) programme supported NFNC to form and orient District Communication and Advocacy Technical Working Groups (TWGs) in the 13 districts supported by SUN TA.

The TWGs are important in the implementation of communication, advocacy and social and behaviour change activities to improve nutrition behaviours and consequently reduce stunting among children under two, in line with the overall objectives of MCDP II.

The TWGs comprise representatives from government ministries, civil society, faith-based organizations and other implementing agencies in respective districts. The orientation included presentations on the overall SUN/MCDP II programme in Zambia, the role of SUN TA in supporting SUN, the terms of reference for the TWGs, and the key SBC issues to be addressed based on the 2019 SUN baseline data and the SUN

©GIZ FANSER/2020


TA SBC Strategy recently approved by USAID, the funders of SUN TA.

The TWGs are sub-committees of the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC) and will therefore work closely with implementing line ministries. The immediate task of the TWGs was to plan for communication, advocacy and SBC activities to be implemented in 2021.

The districts covered were Kasama, Mbala, Luwingu, Kaputa, Nchelenge, Mansa, Samfya, Mumbwa, Chibombo, Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi. Ndola and Kitwe will follow in the last round in November.

©NFNC/2020

Newsletter • October 201716


Implemented by:

For more information on SUN Phase II, visit: unicef.org/zambia/sun-phase-ii

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