A video from Ethiopia shows the key role health workers play in building stronger communities

On April 28^th 2015, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a new video to showcase the valuable role that a health worker has in building stronger communities. In the video, a health worker from a small Ethiopian village shares how crucial it is to educate communities about nutritious food and the lifelong consequences that can result from malnutrition.

The video was developed as part of a joint UNICEF-European Union (EU) regional nutrition programme that aims to improve nutrition security among women and young children in African countries. The four year programme (2011 – 2015) is known as Africa’s Nutrition Security Partnership (ANSP). 

 “Before the nutrition programme started. There was a lack of awareness in the community. Some people didn’t know they could feed their children well using locally available ingredients…” – Binti Mohammed, Health Worker

Video from Ethiopia | Interest Story

This interest story shares the success of a community in Gemechis woreda (district), in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, who are improving their preparation of nutritious food for children by exploring best practices at the nearby Wolragi Health Post.

In Ethiopia, the focus of the ANSP is on 20 woredas in the Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples (SNNP) regions. With a population of more than 30 million people, Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest region, and more than 80 per cent of its residents live in rural areas. Health Extension Worker Binti Mohammed, who features in the video, is one of those helping to improve infant and young feeding practices, as well as maternal and adolescent nutrition.

Learn more about this story here

Video from Mali | Interest Story

This interest story shares the success of a family in the southern part of Sikasso region, Mali, who was able to recover from a malnutrition emergency with the support of proper medical care.

In this region, about one in 10 children under 5 years old suffers from acute malnutrition (wasting) and is at risk of dying. Moreover, nearly one in three children under 5 suffers from chronic malnutrition, or stunting. Hunger is only one of many causes of malnutrition – poor diet diversity, lack of access to clean drinking water and health services, and poor hygiene and sanitation can all contribute to malnutrition.

Learn more about this story here

The ANSP Initiative

Africa’s Nutrition Security Partnership (ANSP) initiative is directly supporting four countries; Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali and Uganda where there are approximately one million children and 600,000 pregnant and lactating women.

Throughout the time frame of 2011-2015, the ANSP focuses on both high level policy engagement as well as on evidence-based nutrition-specific interventions and integrating nutrition goals into broader health, development and agricultural efforts.

The ANSP aims to achieve the following in each country:

• Improve nutrition security for child survival, growth and development during the first ‘1000 days window of opportunity’ including pregnancy
• Scale up nutrition high-impact interventions for women and children in selected areas of the targeted countries
• Strengthen countries’ delivery and information systems on nutrition

To achieve this, UNICEF is working with governments and partners in the four countries and the European Union has provided a €15 million grant towards the programme as part of a wider multi-donor initiative.

Read a brochure about the programme here

Find more multimedia from the UNICEF and the EU partnership programme here