Technical report on infant and young child nutrition BCC campaign strategy development workshop

Abstract

In order to control the high prevalence and the increasing burden of anaemia among children in Ghana, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with support from the Behaviour Change Support (BCS) Project has put in place four strategies to deal with the situation. These strategies has been integrated into other strategies and programmes of which the main ones currently being used are, Food Based strategy, Food Fortification strategy and Infant and young child feeding strategy as well as the School Health Education Programme. A number of Food Based strategies and Food Fortification strategies have already been put in place to reduce anaemia. However, the Infant and young child feeding strategy is yet to be launched. In view of this, a one day workshop was organised for all stakeholders to discuss strategies to deal with the anaemia burden among children in Ghana considering major contributory factors such as malnutrition, malaria and worm infestation. The workshop was attended by stakeholders and partners working in the technical and key areas such as Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Malaria. A total of 47 representatives participated in the workshop. A combination of presentations and group work were used at the workshop. Each presentation was followed by discussion, comments, questions and answers. Some of the topics presented includes; An Overview of nutrition BCC In 2010, Strategies/ interventions to control anaemia and iron deficiency in Ghana, Current anaemia figures in Ghana, the potential effects, the proposed rationale and key objectives for the campaign and key objectives and the state of rationale and proposed direction of the nutrition Campaign. After the presentations participants worked in groups to define specific messages around anaemia, malnutrition, worm infestation, water and sanitation. At the end of the workshop, it was decided that a team would be built to work with an advertising agency to flesh out campaign concept, approaches, channels and materials. A campaign will then be launch on the Infant and young child feeding strategy. Participants were to share existing thematic related appropriate materials to enable the campaign to build on these materials. Finally participants were encouraged to actively participate in the campaign at various levels, from national to the community levels