Project profile — Scaling Up Nutrition - Helen Keller International

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) Enhanced healthy nutritional practices for children 6-59 months; and (ii) Increased national ownership of child survival activities in countries with strong national health systems.

Results achieved as of April 1, 2015 include: (1) an estimated 128,000 children’s lives were saved in 2014 due to the receipt of bi-yearly Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS), in 13 African countries; (2) loss of 98,000 disability-adjusted life years (years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death) was prevented due to the receipt of deworming tablets twice yearly; (3) project activities in all countries have been instrumental in achieving high coverage of VAS for children under the age of five. Implementation and monitoring of alternative delivery models has ensured that children in hard-to-reach areas are still able to receive VAS; and (4) HKI has increased its focus towards a greater institutionalization of VAS within national health systems. Where VAS is still delivered through door to door campaigns (9 out of 13 countries of implementation), governments are beginning to recognize the need to strategize towards more sustainable and cost effective approaches such as a combination of catch up weeks in the Child Health days (CHD) style and the routine provision of VAS through health facilities. This has contributed to improved delivery of essential health and nutrition services to children under the age five who would not otherwise be reached through routine services in 13 African countries, as well as increased integration of these outreach approaches into national health strategies.