C4D Network

Global community of professionals working in Communication for Development

Advanced Search

Nutrition Knowledge Bank (GSMA mNutrition Initiative that provides advice via mobile phones)

A new open-access Knowledge Bank aims to deliver nutrition information to three million people in 12 developing countries.

The Knowledge Bank, part of the GSMA mNutrition initiative to help tackle malnutrition in Africa and Asia, is a collection of content on good nutritional practices and includes downloadable factsheets and mobile messages.

Adequate nutrition is critical to the physical and mental development of children and to long-term human health, but one out of three people in developing countries suffers from micronutrient deficiency. Experts consider poor access to agricultural and health information a major barrier to the uptake of improved nutritional practises, particularly by women and vulnerable groups in marginalized areas.

mNutrition delivers content to people at risk of malnutrition in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. An expert consortium on nutritional matters—BMJ, CABI, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Oxfam International—is partnering with local organizations in these countries to produce useful and reliable nutritional, agricultural and health information, which is then distributed through mobile phone networks in each country.

The Nutrition Knowledge Bank is searchable by country and subject. The messages and factsheets are available in several local languages and take into account the differing cultural contexts. The topics covered include breastfeeding advice for new mothers, practical tips for rearing dairy cows and growing healthier crops for human consumption.

The Nutrition Knowledge Bank can be found at: https://www.cabi.org/nutritionkb

Social accountability initiatives in health and nutrition: lessons from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (Making All Voices Count Research Report 2017)

South Asia is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population and is a region of dynamic economic growth, yet it performs relatively poorly on health and nutrition indicators. As a potential route towards addressing this poor performance, a range of accountability initiatives has been implemented to improve service delivery in the health and nutrition sectors.

This is a rich and vibrant field, with a great deal to offer in terms of best practice; but there is little work that focuses on South Asian innovation and practice generally, and takes a comparative and theoretical perspective to ground existing and future accountability initiatives in health and nutrition specifically. This report fills this gap.

It highlights a set of four key considerations for the design and analysis of such programmes:

  • the need to understand community heterogeneity (rather than assuming homogeneity, as many interventions do)
  • the role of community collective action and/or its role in coercion or ‘noisy protest’ in effecting change
  • the ways in which cooperation, capacity and commitment affect the community and frontline provider relationship, and the ability and willingness to deliver
  • to meet demands the ways in which clientelism and other such extant local political structures form the backdrop against which accountability actions play out.

 

Tackling intimate partner violence in South Asia: why working with men and boys matters for women (ODI report 2017)

This report explores multi-level influences that shape the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) by men and boys in South Asia. It also examines the policy, programming and institutional dynamics that mediate attitudes and behaviours around IPV. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach from three countries facing different forms of state fragility – Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan – it explores three key questions:

  1. To what extent do social norms drive male perpetration of IPV in South Asia?
  2. In what ways do broader political economic dynamics shape attitudes, behaviours and service provision regarding IPV?
  3. What are the entry points for policy and programming to tackle male perpetration of IPV?

The report provides programming and policy recommendations to tackle IPV in South Asia. It stresses the importance of engaging with men and boys in efforts to tackle IPV, particularly given a backlash that appears to be growing as women become more empowered in the region.

Click here for full report.

What drives behavior? Key factors for handwashing in Bangladesh (Alive & Thrive Case Study 2015)

Designed for practitioners, trainers, and students of behavior change or social marketing, this case study shows how to take the guesswork out of two critical decisions:

  • What behavior will you promote?
  • What key factors will you address to motivate people?

Use the case study kit to teach or learn about methods for behavior change and view A&T’s final TV spot on handwashing + child feeding.

Click here for full details.

On the front line: Community nutrition programming (chapter 2 from ‘Nourishing Millions: Stories of Change in Nutrition’, IFPRI publication 2016)

Whatever advances have been made in terms of technologies, interventions, and their delivery platforms in recent decades, it is households and communities that remain on the front lines in combating malnutrition. During the past half century, several significant attempts have been made to initiate and implement community-based nutrition programs. This chapter assesses the evolution and performance of such approaches, highlighting several case studies.

Nourishing Millions: Stories of Change in Nutrition brings together the most intriguing stories from the past five decades to show what works in nutrition, what does not, and the factors that contribute to success.

Site Navigation

Join C4D
Contact Us
Get Involved
Facebook Group
LinkedIn Group

Social Networks

Communication for Development Network
Registered address:
Finsbury House, New Street,
Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5LL, UK
E-mail [email protected]
Non-profit Company Number: 7734410