Nutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS) Participant Handouts for Training Facility-Based Service Providers

The training package was developed in response to requests from program implementers for a generic set of NACS training materials that can be adapted to different country and program contexts. The training package consists of 10 modules, each focusing on a specific aspect of nutrition assessment, counseling, and support. Module 1, Basic Nutrition, covers essential nutrition terms, a balanced diet, and the relationship between nutrition and infection. Module 2, Nutrition Assessment and Classification, provides detailed information on anthropometry, measuring weight, and biochemical assessment. Module 3, Nutrition Education and Counseling, focuses on communication skills, critical nutrition actions, and counseling techniques. Module 4, Food and Water Safety and Hygiene, emphasizes the importance of handwashing, food and water safety, and counseling on these topics. Module 5, Nutrition Care for Pregnant and Postpartum Women, covers recommended weight gain during pregnancy, energy needs, and micronutrient recommendations. Module 6, Nutrition Care for Infants and Young Children, addresses causes and consequences of stunting, recommended infant feeding practices, and counseling on infant feeding for HIV-positive mothers. Module 7, Nutrition and Medication, explores the interaction between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and food, HIV drug-food interactions, and counseling on nutrition and ART. Module 8, Nutrition Support, covers WHO micronutrient supplementation recommendations, point-of-use water purification products, and specialized food products. Module 9, Health Facility-Community Linkages, focuses on the continuum of care, referral forms, and facility-community referral. Module 10, NACS Monitoring and Reporting, provides information on NACS data management, sample NACS registers, and monthly report forms. The training package was pre-tested and used in PEPFAR-funded programs in several countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia. The materials were developed with the generous financial support of USAID's Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) and include illustrations from the USAID NuLife Project and the USAID WASHPlus Project.