Improving Handwashing and Food Hygiene Behaviors for Infant and Young Child Feeding in Rural Malawi

Pathogen consumption from contaminated food causes significant health problems, especially in low-income settings, and children are especially vulnerable when they start consuming complementary foods, around six months of age. This USAID Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Partnerships and Learning for Sustainability (WASHPaLS) #2 study focused on handwashing (HW) and food hygiene (FH) during complementary feeding, an under-researched area critical to infant and young child (IYC) health, with little existing evidence on effective interventions. The formative research study aimed to identify an acceptable, feasible, and desirable intervention package to support caregivers’ improved performance of HW and FH behaviors concerning preparation and feeding of complementary foods for IYC.