AID grant no. 388-0083-G-SS-9127-00 to Helen Keller International for a program in child health/nutritional surveillance for blindness prevention and disaster preparedness

The project is a follow-on to a pilot surveillance system initiated by UNICEF and local NGO"s in 1988. HKI will establish an institutional capacity to gather, analyze, and use child health and nutrition data. Specific activities will include: (1) establishing baseline health/nutrition indicators and identifying seasonal trends among children 0-5 in populations at high risk of floods and other disasters; (2) identifying high-risk children aged 0-5 and geographic areas of malnutrition before, during, and after recurrent disasters; (3) creating a database for the evaluation of disaster response and development programs; (4) standardizing health/nutrition surveillance among participating Bangladeshi agencies -- which, along with up to ten NGO"s, will include the Bangladesh Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN); and (5) training participating NGO and IPHN personnel. HKI will also collaborate with UNICEF in implementing the project; IPHN will ultimately be responsible for continuing HKI"s role as health/nutrition surveillance coordinator.