Trip Report: Chouahibou Nchamoun

The project is implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) with funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The DRC-IHP nutrition component has recently started, and a Nutrition Advisor has been hired to provide technical support. To improve planning, monitoring, and development of appropriate tools for better achievements, the project required technical assistance to integrate nutrition activities into the Minimum Package of Activities (MPA plus) implemented in the supported health facilities and communities. The consultant, Chouahibou Nchamoun, traveled to the DRC from October 5 to 27, 2011, to provide technical assistance to the IHP team. The consultant's objectives included orienting IHP staff on Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA), Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM), and Household Food Security (HFS); developing a community strategy to implement ENA; and defining key indicators for the implementation and monitoring of ENA, IMAM, and HFS. During the trip, the consultant achieved several key objectives, including introducing the consultant to the IHP team, reviewing the scope of work and adopting the consultant's work plan, conducting courtesy visits with the Ministry of Health and other partners working on nutrition, and orienting IHP staff on ENA, IMAM, and HFS. The consultant also developed a community strategy for ENA implementation, a list of key indicators for the IHP nutrition component, and recommendations for the IHP year 2 annual work plan improvement. The consultant also met with various stakeholders, including the COP of MSH, the Senior Technical Advisor of IHP, the Nutrition Advisor of IHP, and representatives from the Ministry of Health, USAID, WHO, UNICEF, WFP, and AAH. The consultant submitted several technical documents, including a community strategy for ENA implementation, a strategy for chronic malnutrition prevention, key indicators for the IHP nutrition component, and recommendations for the IHP year 2 annual work plan. The consultant's work plan included several tasks to be completed after the trip, including developing simplified guidelines for community workers in the use of MUAC to identify acute malnutrition, finalizing tools for ENA data collection for community workers and health workers, and developing a monitoring checklist for nutrition. The DRC-IHP nutrition component aims to improve the health and well-being of the population in the DRC by integrating nutrition activities into the MPA plus implemented in the supported health facilities and communities. The project's objectives include orienting IHP staff on ENA, IMAM, and HFS, developing a community strategy to implement ENA, and defining key indicators for the implementation and monitoring of ENA, IMAM, and HFS. The consultant's technical assistance has contributed to the project's objectives, and the submitted technical documents will be used to inform the project's implementation. The project's success will depend on the effective integration of nutrition activities into the MPA plus and the development of appropriate tools for better achievements. The DRC-IHP nutrition component has the potential to improve the health and well-being of the population in the DRC by addressing the root causes of malnutrition and promoting sustainable development. The project's objectives are aligned with the government's priorities, and the consultant's technical assistance has contributed to the project's success. The project's impact will be measured through the implementation of ENA, IMAM, and HFS, and the development of key indicators for the implementation and monitoring of these activities. The project's success will depend on the effective integration of nutrition activities into the MPA plus and the development of appropriate tools for better achievements. The DRC-IHP nutrition component is a critical component of the project's overall objectives, and the consultant's technical assistance has contributed to the project's success. The project's impact will be measured through the implementation of ENA, IMAM, and HFS, and the development of key indicators for the implementation and monitoring of these activities.