SUPPORT NUTRITION INTERNATIONAL IN IMPLEMENTATION OF MATERNAL AND NEWBORN NUTRITION PROGRAM

Background:  Shifa Foundation’s Maternal and New-born Health Nutrition Program is a nutrition-focused initiative being implemented across six districts in four provinces, including Lodhran, Khairpur, Jamshoro, Swabi, Quetta, and Ziarat. Its primary goal is to improve the nutritional status of malnourished mothers during and after pregnancy, with a particular focus on addressing perinatal and postnatal anemia through the provision of IFA supplements. The program also aims to improve newborn survival rates by strengthening Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), referral systems, medical care services, and skills training. With funding from Nutrition International, the program also supports the capacity development of government health functionaries and the integration of family planning with nutrition, with the aim of strengthening government-led maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Baluchistan.

Shifa Foundation’s role is to provide operational support for implementation of specific activities during the contract period under Nutrition International’s integrated project comprising of Maternal and Newborn Health and Nutrition (MNHN) intervention.

Key activities to be performed:

• Retention and/or hiring of new project staff in selected districts and provinces in consultation with Nutrition International.
• Organize quarterly internal program review meetings.
• Housekeeping & maintenance service of district and provincial Office
• Support Nutrition International to organize Provincial Consultative meetings with DoH and key stakeholders to identify critical gaps related to maternal nutrition and family planning in existing packages of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This consultation is to guide development of Guiding/policy Brief or concept note on integration of MN and UHC)
• Support Nutrition International to organize awareness seminars and community sessions to raise awareness on maternal nutrition nexus with family planning among key stakeholders and community on various thematic Days (Malnutrition Week, World Breastfeeding Week, World Pre-Maturity Day and Universal Health Coverage Day)
• Support in strengthening Nutrition International’s relationship with Nutrition wing through provision of HR support (one program officer and one support staff)
• Support Nutrition International to organize Biannual national/provincial coordination meetings with government officials for Nutrition International’s program progress update, review and advocacy.
• Support Nutrition International to organize national level advocacy meetings with ministry of health and development partners for scaling up of MMS in Pakistan
• Support Nutrition International in organizing National level review meeting in consultation/collaboration with UNICEF & Nutrition wing to monitor roll out of HLMIS across four provinces.
• Support Nutrition International in providing technical support to district health department in strengthening supply chain systems (infrastructure/IT/reporting tools)
• Support Nutrition International to organize launch event on Kangaroo Mother Care Strategy in 4 provinces in collaboration with Nutrition Wing and Provincial health departments.
• Support Nutrition International in its advocacy efforts for scale up KMC (Kangaroo Mother Care) services and inclusion of KMC related key indicators into DHIS II and scale up of KMC services in 4 program provinces.
• Organize advocacy meetings with department of health at national and provincial level for development of operational Plan for KMC (Kangaroo Mother Care) upscaling/expanding at provincial level in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan
• Conduct Refresher trainings of health staff in existing 8 KMC (Kangaroo Mother Care) wards across 4 provinces
• Support Nutrition International in establishment of KMC (Kangaroo Mother Care) ward in district Ziarat
• Support in organizing Monitoring visits by Nutrition International’s team to KMC wards for provision of routine technical support to health staff and collection of monthly reports.
• Maintenance support for continued operationalization of KMC wards in 5 program districts.

Deliverables:

• Project management through provision of HR and Periodic program review and planning meetings
• Strengthened commitment to develop/and or operationalize maternal health and nutrition policies across the 4 provinces.
• Advocacy meetings conducted to operationalize the Health Logistic Management Information System (HLMIS) system across all three Nutrition International provinces with national and provincial level policy makers.
• Increased commitment to scale up provision and monitoring of KMC services in 4 provinces.
• Increased capacity of FLHW (Front line health worker) and HCP (Health care personnel) to deliver and promote maternal nutrition and newborn health services in the four NI districts with revisions of training modules with inclusion of supportive supervision content.