Nutrition
Through an approach that always keeps the person at the center, AVSI works on the issue of nutrition by broadening the focus from the child to the family and community of reference. Operating in different contexts between emergency response and development, nutrition interventions range from clinical care of severe acute malnutrition in countries with the lowest development index to technical assistance to policies promoting proper nutrition.
In this range of actions, we always keep a special focus on training and educational activities to promote proper, balanced, and sustainable nutrition.
The fight against malnutrition in all its forms, the commitment to the eradication of its causes and prevention, and constant technical and operational support to local and community resources are the cornerstones of our action in the nutrition sector, in synergy with interventions to fight poverty, to improve food security and to promote agricultural development.
Our main courses of action are:
- Clinical intake interventions for the treatment of severe and moderate acute malnutrition
- Prevention of malnutrition through specific, multisectoral actions
- Nutrition surveillance in communities at risk of nutritional insecurity and/or in food insecurity and crisis situations
- Promotion of maternal breastfeeding
- Targeted actions to respond to the specific nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women
- Promotion and dissemination of good infant and general population feeding practices, with a multi-sectoral approach including hygiene, water, food safety issues
- Promotion of the most correct and optimal use of available community-based food resources in different intervention contexts, through community-based training, demonstrations of adapted cooking recipes, promotion of appropriate and possibly improved local products
- Accompanying and reinforcing local community-based resources, promoting the involvement of responsible adults in combating and preventing malnutrition through the experiences of Adult Leaders
- Promotion of a positive and sustainable food and nutrition culture locally and globally
- Technical assistance to institutions and training of staff involved in malnutrition intake and prevention actions
- Specific and multi-sectoral study and evaluation activities in support of the effort for better understanding and action in the fight against and prevention of malnutrition
In all its actions in the nutrition sector, AVSI actively seeks:
- Synergy with other sectors, particularly agricultural and food security activities, fighting extreme poverty and promoting livelihood enhancement, sanitation, WASH
- An educational and sustainable approach, particularly with regard to prevention and community-based interventions
- Sustainability of interventions, with a focus on community aspects, to achieve durable results
AVSI is active in preventing and combating malnutrition, while fostering proper nutrition in emergency and crisis contexts, as well as in development cooperation interventions. We adapt our actions to the specific needs of the contexts and communities of intervention.