Cooperative agreement no. OTR-0528-A-00-7214-00 to Meals for Millions

In Bolivia, MFM will focus on: (1) community-based growth monitoring and promotion, stressing growth velocity and home visitation; (2) use of social marketing techniques to improve weaning foods and practices; (3) development of a permanent cold chain and immunization outreach delivery system; (4) ORT promotion through nutrition education messages and community stores of oral rehydration solution; and (5) a community-based information system to provide data on service coverage and vital events for program monitoring and evaluation. The chief mechanism to be used for supporting and sustaining these activities will be the Association of Communities for Applied Nutrition (ASCONA), an area-wide association of elected community leaders and health and agricultural promoters. In Nepal, MFM will obtain additional personnel and equipment from the government, the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN), and local communities to support provision of immunization and ORT. Immunization coverage of 80% of children 0-2 and mothers of child-bearing age will be promoted through social marketing strategies and campaigns in the community. An immunization promoter and an expanded program of immunizations (EPI) coordinator will be hired to supervise community efforts and to interface with the regional EPI. ORT activities will involve (1) setting up an initial delivery system to distribute ORT packets and training storekeepers to sell and promote ORT and (2) training traditonal healers in home ORT and encouraging them to train mothers in the proper management of diarrhea.