SUDAN - WADI HALFA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

UNDER THE FIFTH SUBACTIVITY, IVS WILL SUPPORT CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES(CRS) OUT OF OPG FUNDS TO ASSIST THE SUDAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO INITIATE A PROGRAM OF HEALTH AND NUTRITION EDUCATION FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN WADI HALFA. CRS EXPECTS THE PROGRAM TO REACH 1,000 CHILDREN PER MONTH. NUTRITION EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WILL BE DIRECTLY OVERSEEN BY THE TOWN"S PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE. THE NURSE WILL HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN MATERNAL-CHILD HEALTH AND WILL GO TO KHARTOUM FOR TWO WEEKS OF ORIENTATION. ALSO, A WADI HALFA SCHOOL TEACHER WILL ATTEND A FOUR-MONTH COURSE IN NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND ON COMPLETING HER TRAINING WILL ASSIST THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE FULL-TIME. THE TOWN"S MEDICAL OFFICER WILL SUPERVISE THE PROGRAM DAY TO DAY. CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS WILL VISIT THE CENTER AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. EACH CHILD WILL BE EXAMINED AND WEIGHED, AND A CHART WILL RECORD WEIGHTS FOR ALL CHILDREN ATTENDING THE CENTER ON A PARTICULAR DAY. THE NURSE WILL DETERMINE A CHILD"S PHYSICAL STATUS IN TERMS OF THE HARVARD GROWHT STANDARD. MOTHERS WILL RECEIVE PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS TO LEARN THE CHILD"S HEALTH STATUS AND WHAT CORRECTIVE STEPS ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE A CHILD"S PROPER GROWTH. CHILDREN WILL BE IMMUNIZED AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES WHEN VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE AND TREATED FOR MINOR AILMENTS. SERIOUSLY ILL CASES WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE HEALTH CENTER PHYSICIAN. A GROUP LECTURE OR A NUTRITION OR HEALTH DEMONSTRATION WILL BE GIVEN TO ALL MOTHERS BY THE NUTRITION EDUCATOR. SUPPLEMENTARY FOODS (TWO KILOS OF NONFAT DRY MILK AND ONE KILO OF OIL) WILL BE GIVEN TO THE CHILD ON EACH CLINIC VISIT TO: A)BE A CORRECTIVE ELEMENT IN A CHILD"S DIET; B)BE A MEANS OF EDUCATING MOTHERS ABOUT NUTRITION; AND C)BE AN ECONOMIC AID TO THE FAMILY. BASED ON 1,000 CHILDREN, THE VALUE OF THE FOOD ASSISTANCE THAT CRS WILL PROVIDE TO WADI HALFA IN A ONE-YEAR PERIOD IS $57,552. ADDED TO THE PROGRAM VALUE WILL BE CLEARANCE, INLAND TRANSPORT, AND PERSONNEL COSTS BORNE BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AND OTHER INPUTS BY CRS.