The burden of anaemia and malnutrition among children is high in Ethiopia. Nationally, 40% of children under the age of 5 are stunted and 9% are wasted and almost half of children 6–59 months of age in Ethiopia are anaemic. Only a very small percentage of infants and young children 6–23 months of age consume food from the minimum number of food groups associated with better nutrient adequacy and growth.
To address these issues, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with Concern Worldwide and with funding from the Netherlands, is supporting the Federal Ministry of Health to implement the Integrated home Fortification project, which aims to improve complementary feeding practices through the delivery of a micronutrient powder (MNP) and behaviour change communication messages to approximately 71,000 children 6–23 months in six woredas in Ethiopia’s Amhara region through the public health system.
Prior to implementation of the project, a baseline survey was conducted that aimed to measure the outcome indicators and to describe potential factors that might influence those outcomes other than the project activities. This report presents the main findings from the baseline survey related to socio-economic characteristics of the respondent households, exposure to aspects of the FMOH health service delivery platform, and IYCF practices. MNP coverage indicators are not presented because the survey took place prior to implementation.
Two additional reports accompany this report:
- a report of results of a population based baseline and endline survey results which includes quantitative estimates of program outcomes, and
- a report of results pertaining to factors that affected processes related to program delivery.
Available by request to datasharing@gainhealth.org