
Convening Rotary International, the END Fund and Eleanor Crook Foundation for a multisectoral programme supporting mothers and children in Ethiopia
PARTNERS
- Rotary International
- The END Fund
- Eleanor Crook Foundation
- UNICEF
- Action Against Hunger
- Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH)
- UK Aid
- University of Addis Ababa
- Regional Health Bureau
SDGS SUPPORTED
- SDG 1 - No Poverty
- SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
- SDG 3 - Good Health & Wellbeing
- SDG 5 - Gender Equality
- SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals
CONVENED FUNDS
$30m
LOCATION
Ethiopia
DATES
2021 - 2026
Introduction
Since 2022, Ethiopia has been devastated by the region’s worst drought in 40 years. Led by climate change, it has caused failed harvests and spiking food prices. This was compounded by local conflict and displacement, as well as Covid-19, which exacerbated an already desperate situation of food insecurity and malnutrition.
It is estimated that 9.4 million people need food assistance and over 400,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. This is not the only issue. There is also a desperate need to scale-up vitamin A supplementation and deworming treatment, the lack of which both contribute to high malnutrition rates.
Our programme
The Power of Nutrition convened a wide range of partners to co-design a multisectoral programme that would tackle these challenges head-on. These include funding partners Rotary International, the END Fund and Eleanor Crook Foundation and implementers UNICEF, Action Against Hunger and the Federal Ministry of Health.
By bringing together partners, we are not only pooling funds to create financial leverage, we’re maximising the skills and experience from the variety of sectors. Each partner has a role to play and this is a great example of one, large programme creating impact at scale for a shared goal, as opposed to having several, smaller programmes each working in isolation.
This programme harnesses our technical expertise and our partners’ skills and knowledge to create a holistic programme that strengthens health systems and increases access to vital nutrition services. As well as addressing personal nutritional needs, it also promotes the importance of healthy, balanced diets through behaviour change campaigns.
Tshey's story
Tshey, a mother in the district of Dire Dawa, has benefitted from multiple levels of interventions in the programme. By breastfeeding, Tshey recognises that the folic acid she receives from the programme helps her and her child.
I’ve learnt how to care for my child… including the benefits of breastfeeding and having different food groups
Programme interventions
Training health workers
Helping to train and support health care workers to improve infant and young child feeding practices.
Nutrition treatments
Providing vitamin A and deworming treatment to children.
Maternal care
Providing multiple micronutrient supplementation - a mix of vital micronutrients that support women in pregnancy.
Cooking demonstrations
Engaging communities on healthy diets through cooking demonstrations, which also distribute regionally specific recipe booklets.
Policy change
Enabling key operational research that provides evidence to change policies on new ways to manage wasting and help to create the most impact.
Progress to date
1.2m
children treated
More than 1.2 million children have received vital vitamin A supplementation.
54%
women given deworming treatment
There has been a massive increase in the number of pregnant women receiving deworming treatment.
7.4m
women reached
More than 7.4 million women have been reached with nutrition interventions.
The programme also includes research funded by Eleanor Crook Foundation. Three important studies are being carried out as part of the Modified Dosage for Acute Malnutrition (MODAM) research. By the end of June 2024, 2,185 children were enrolled in the moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) study, which is 91% of the target number. In the severe acute malnutrition (SAM) study, 713 children were enrolled, which is 30% of the needed participants. So far, 1,829 MAM children (83%) have finished treatment or been discharged, and 487 SAM children (68%) have also been discharged. Additionally, 675 children have completed their six-month follow-up after treatment
To date, the programme has reached over 1.2 million children with vitamin A supplementation and deworming treatment and over 400,000 pregnant women with multiple micronutrient supplementation. So far over 1,300 local maternal and child nutrition experts have attended essential infant and young child feeding training, helping to address the shortfall and improve standards of child feeding practices. The training also includes follow-up support in the shape of counselling, giving health care workers the skills and confidence they need to support mothers and children.
Read about the first phase to our programme in Ethiopia here, you can also learn about our response to the current humanitarian crisis here.