Using New Food Aid Products for Prevention to Enhance Resiliency

Presenters: Allen Gidraf Kahindo Maina, Public Health Officer, UNHCR;  Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera, Roving East Africa Nutrition Advisor, International Medical Corps; Moderator: Joan Jennings, TOPS Program Nutrition & Food Technology Specialist

UNHCR and International Medical Corps presented on their experiences in using ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) in Dadaab, Kenya and in South Sudan during the early emergency phases of food insecurity over the last year.  Each of the speakers shared information on the use of different RUSF products.

IMC’s use of Plumpy Doz a RUSF for children aged 6-36 months, was presented as an example of the use of a product well-suited for humanitarian emergencies and in a program designed to treat children preventively before they reach a more acute phase of malnutrition. Successes from the intervention included the fact that they reached a very large coverage area. (The potential issue of waste and environmental contamination was also addressed through a recycling component for the containers). Challenges identified were that some children shared with a family member or friend so they consumed less than recommended. The target area has a very low level of appropriate infant feeding practices among participants.

The presentation concluded stressing the need for community sensitization as an integral part of the intervention, as well as the critical need for accompanying food aid with nutrition education programming in improved infant and young child feeding practices.

UNHCR presented on their experience in the use of Nutributter, which is a lipid-based nutrient supplement to be used with children 6-24 months as a complementary food eaten on its own or added to food. The intervention stressed that children who are given Nutributter should also continue to be breastfed.

In the Dadaab camp there were some problems with people sharing the emergency food products. Some mothers also delayed feeding the RUSF to infants until they reached nine months of age, possibly to extend their stored food supply. Having enough staff in the camp was also a challenge. The process for distribution was improved upon in phase two. Logistics were improved overall, messaging was translated into Somali, and individual sachets were used that enabled a better distribution of the RUSF in feeding portion size.

The session concluded with an animated question and answer period, with questions from participants ranging from issues of sustainability to detailed questions relevant to direct implementation strategies to discussion of the potential cost-effectiveness and impact for optimal child growth during the first 1,000 days.

 

The Way Forward: Participants made recommendations in the following areas:

Research and Evidence Base

Examination is needed to ensure that distribution of food aid products does not undermine traditional practices or coping mechanisms.

Better understanding of cost-effectiveness is necessary:  cost per child, and in terms of amount of time a child may be on supplementary foods depending on the context.

Food aid products are often sold in order to raise case to purchase non-food items. What is the impact on nutrition of this practice?

Donor Policy and Practice

More support for local production is needed to ensure sustainability of supplies of supplemental food products.