USAID Kenya Nutrition and Health Program plus FY 2014/2015 QUARTER 3 PROGRESS REPORT

The program's overall goal is to improve access and demand for quality nutrition interventions at facility and community levels, strengthen nutrition commodities management, and improve food and nutrition security. The program engages with stakeholders to identify gaps and address them, monitoring outcomes to ensure sustainable and cost-effective programming. The program supports the expansion of Nutrition Assessment Counselling and Support (NACS) services beyond HIV through the inclusion of High Impact Nutrition Interventions (HiNi) in NACs roll-out. NHPplus also engages with stakeholders to create a heightened profile for nutrition and strengthen budgeting, planning, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) at both national and sub-national levels. Additionally, the program continues to support commodity management for vulnerable populations using PEPFAR Food and Nutrition guidance. In five geographic areas of Kenya, the program supports coordination and strengthening of existing USAID|K efforts with projects such as the APHIAplus, AMPATH, and others. In the Counties of Busia, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, and Samburu, NHPplus implements Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) activities aimed at ending preventable child and maternal deaths. In the counties of Busia, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, and Marsabit, the program works directly with Feed the Future (FtF) partners in priority regions to devise innovative approaches to reduce stunting during the first 1,000 days "window of opportunity." During this reporting period, the program activities focused on developing and submitting Sustainability and Innovation Plans, recruiting additional program personnel, meeting with national and county stakeholders, improving nutrition commodity and service data collection and reporting, and advancing procurement and distribution of FBF products. A consultative workshop was held with the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Dietetics Unit (NDU) and health, nutrition, and agriculture executive officers from the five key focus counties to identify and map gaps in leadership, advocacy, and planning of key priority areas of intervention in nutrition and nutrition-sensitive agriculture. A three-day MIYCN guidelines development workshop was supported to review assessment checklists that will be used by NDU to certify communities as baby-friendly, and to draft the outline of BFCI guidelines. NHPplus also assisted in the development of terms of reference for the Nutrition Commodity Pipeline Monitoring Subcommittee and facilitated a one-day meeting to discuss the subcommittee's role and responsibilities. The program's geographic focus is on five key counties in Kenya: Busia, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Samburu, and Marsabit. The program's implementation details include supporting the expansion of NACS services, strengthening nutrition commodities management, and improving food and nutrition security. The program's timeframes are not explicitly stated, but the report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 2015. The program's recommendations include continuing to support the expansion of NACS services, strengthening nutrition commodities management, and improving food and nutrition security. The program also recommends continuing to engage with stakeholders to create a heightened profile for nutrition and strengthen budgeting, planning, and M&E at both national and sub-national levels.