2017–2022

Alive & Thrive

Bangladesh

SHAFIQUL ALAM KIRON | ALIVE & THRIVE

• DirectoratesofHealthServicesandFamilyPlanning

• InstituteofPublicHealthNutrition/NationalNutritionServices

• MinistryofLocalGovernment,RuralDevelopment,andCo-operatives

• MinistryofWomenandChildrenAffairs

• BangladeshNationalNutritionCouncil

INTERVENTION AREAS & GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

Alive&Thrive(A&T)isaglobalnutritioninitiativetosavelives,preventillness,andensurehealthygrowthofmothersandchildren.From2009–2014,A&Tdemonstratedthatrapidimprovementsininfantandyoungchildfeeding(IYCF)arepossibleinsettingsasdiverseasBangladesh,Ethiopia,andVietNam.

In2014,A&TbeganworkinginBurkinaFaso,India,Nigeria,andthroughouttheSoutheastAsiaregion,expandingitsscopetoincludematernalandadolescentnutrition,andusingagricultureandsocialprotectionprogramsasdeliverymechanismsformaternal,infant,andyoungchildnutrition(MIYCN).InBangladeshfrom2014–2017,A&Tfocusedonintegratingmaternalnutritioninterventionsintoexistingplatformsformaternal,neonatal,andchildhealth.Byworkingwithexistingstructures,A&Treachedmorethan128,900pregnantwomenwithhome-basednutritioncounselingbytrainedcommunityhealthworkers.

Now,A&TisleveragingitsrobustnetworkandknowledgebasetostrengthensystemsandbuildcapacityinBangladeshandothercountriesacrossAsiaandAfrica.Byshiftingawayfromservicedeliverytofocusontechnicalassistance,A&TisputtingincreasedownershipwithgovernmentsforgreaterscalabilityandsustainabilityofMIYCNinterventions.Thisbriefhighlightsthesystemsstrengthening,policyadvocacy,

BANGLADESH COUNTRY BRIEF | 2017–2022

andknowledgegenerationactivitiesthatarepivotalinA&T’seffortstosupportBangladesh’sNationalNutritionServicesOperationalPlan(NNS-OP)inimprovingthenutritionalstatusofmothersandchildren.

Systems strengtheningA&Tmaximizesimpactbyfacilitatingandcatalyzingchangeacrosssystems.Toachievesuchchange,A&TprovidestechnicalassistancetobuildcapacityinMIYCNpolicyandprogramimplementation,strategicuseofdata,andsocialandbehaviorchangecommunication(SBCC).

Learning labs in two divisions. InsupportofBangladesh’sdisbursement-linkedindicatorsfornutrition,A&TiscollaboratingwithUNICEFandtheWorldBanktoassisttheHealthSectorSupportProjectinimprovingthequalityandcoverageofMIYCNinterventionsdeliveredthroughthegovernmenthealthsystem.InthetwodivisionsofSylhetandChattogram,A&Thascreatedlearninglabsinsixadministrativesub-units,knownasupazilas.TheUpazilaLearningLabisatestinggroundfordata-drivenperformancemanagementandsupportivesupervisionapproachesthatengagefrontlineworkers,supervisors,andhealthauthoritiesoverseeingthemanagementofservicedelivery.Lessonsfromcollaboratingwithgovernmentandpartnersintheupazilas

coverageandqualityofMIYCNservicedelivery.A&T’spolicyandprogramadvocacyprioritiesareto:

• IncreaseawarenessandcommitmenttoMIYCN

• EnsurecountryreadinessfortheWorldHealthAssembly’snutritiontargets

• PromotetheadoptionofMIYCNSBCCguidelines,supportivesupervisionprotocols,andperformancemanagementpracticesinhealthfacilities

• StrengthentheimplementationofthenationalBreast-milkSubstitutes(BMS)Act

• PromoteanimprovedmodelforMIYCNcounselinginurbanhealthprogramming

Knowledge and learning Understandinghowaninterventionperformsinanewcontextiscriticalforscalabilityandsustainability.Byconductingbothformativeandimplementationresearch,A&Tisgeneratingnewknowledgetoinformevidence-basedpolicies,programs,andimplementationstrategies.

Urban nutrition. A&TisconductingimplementationresearchonMIYCNcounselinginterventionsintheurbancontextofDhaka.Thestudyisdevelopingandtestingtheeffectiveness,feasibility,andscalabilityofintegratingMIYCNcounselingintourbanhealthcenters.

BMS Act. A&TisinitiatingformativeresearchonviolationsoftheBMSActincommercialsettings,media,andhealthfacilitiesinBangladesh.Thestudieswillquantifyanddescribethefrequencyandtypesofviolationsinordertohelpthegovernmentcreateaplanforbettermonitoringandpreventionofviolations.

Adolescent nutrition. A&Tsupportedtheintroductionofkeynutritioninterventionsintothegovernment’snewadolescenthealthstrategy,applyingformativeresearchonpregnantadolescentsfrom2014–2017.Theinterventionsarestrengtheningthecapacityofserviceproviderstodelivereffectivenutritioncounselingtoadolescentsandprovidingnutritionservicesatschools,healthfacilities,andworkplaces.A&Tiscontinuingtosupporteffortstomeettheneedsofadolescentsthroughnewformativeresearchthatlooksatthecurrentprogramandpolicyenvironmentforadolescenthealth.

willinformandpromotereplication,scale,andsustainabilitywithinthetwodivisionsandnationallyviatheNNS-OP.

Technical assistance for SBCC.A&TisatechnicalpartnerintheIYCFAllianceandparticipatesinthenationalnutritionandSBCCworkinggroupstoharmonizeapproachesacrossgovernmentandpartnerinitiatives.BuildingonprovenSBCCpracticesfromthefirstdecadeofimplementation,A&TisdisseminatingknowledgeandstrengtheningcapacitybysupportingthedevelopmentofSBCCstrategiesandcontent,andsharingrelevantMIYCNSBCCtools.A&TisalsoprovidingtechnicalassistancetodevelopdistinctMIYCNSBCCstrategiesfortheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgram/NationalUrbanPovertyReductionProgram(UNDP/NUPRP)andtheWorldFoodProgram/MaternalAllowanceandLactatingMotherAllowanceProgram(WFP/MALMA).

Policy and program advocacyGroundedinglobalMIYCNevidence,includingnewresearchinBangladesh,A&Tissupportingkeypartnerstodevelopnationalpolicies,guidelines,andstrategiesthatenhancethe

TECHNICAL PARTNERS

• WorldFoodProgramme• WorldBank• USAID• FoodandAgricultureOrganization• UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme• Caritas• NutritionInternational• icddr,b• GlobalAllianceforImprovedNutrition• Professionalassociations

MIYCN SBCC TOOLS

• Jobaids• Flipbooksfor

frontlineworkers• Videos• TVspots• Posters• Trainingmaterials

The Alive & Thrive initiative, managed by FHI 360, is currently funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Irish Aid, the Tanoto Foundation, and UNICEF.

aliveandthrive.org