Maureen Mayhew|Paul Ickx|Hedayatullah Stanekzai|Taufiq Mashal|William Newbrander
Improving nutrition in Afghanistan through a community-based growth monitoring and promotion programme: A pre–post evaluation in five districts
University of British Columbia|Management Sciences for Health|World Health Organization - Afghanistan|Ministry of Public Health|Management Sciences for Health
afghanistan malnutrition children less 60 months age remains high despite nutritional services offered health facilities since 2003 afghanistans ministry public health solicited extensive community consultation develop pictorial communitybased growth monitoring promotion cgmp tools help illiterate community health workers chws provide nutritional assessment counselling planned evaluation five districts cgmp implemented demonstrated mean weightforage wfa zscore 414 participant children 03 zscores higher matched nonparticipants lived outside cgmp programme catchment areas mean change wfa zscores evaluation 03 95 ci 03 04 zscores higher entry programme influential factor wfa zscore changes participants initial wfa zscore initial wfa zscore less 2 experienced mean increase 033 95 ci 029 038 wfa zscores per session attended baseline wfa zscore greater zero showed decrease 019 95 ci 022 015 wfa zscores per session attended results encouraging since demonstrate cgmp programme afghanistan illiterate women potential contribute improving nutrition specifically underweight children either sex enter programme less nine months age attend 50 sessions