Helen Keller International Nutrition Project: Food Crisis Response

Results obtained at the end of the project include: (i) in Burkina Faso 380 000 supplements containing different amounts of zinc were distributed to approximately 6 000 children aged 6 -30 months over a 48 week study period during which quarterly delivery of intermittent preventive zinc supplements was identified as the most cost-effective strategy; (ii) six-month contact point pilots for vitamin A supplementation (VAS) were implemented in Sierra Leone Tanzania Niger Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire; and (iii) post-event coverage surveys were conducted in 13 African countries to assess VAS coverage and determine how to best reach children 6-11 months old. For example in Tanzania the national communications campaign implemented in the control and intervention districts improved VAS coverage from 65% to 82%. The addition of the social mobilization toolkit in the implementation districts increased VAS coverage by a further 7% (82% in control districts compared to 89% in intervention districts) at an average cost of US$1 000. For example in one pilot district of Cameroon the number of children under the age of five receiving vitamin A increased from 52% to 71% through new communications strategies to inform caregivers of the importance of their child receiving vitamin A and by increasing the number of trained health workers.