Nutrition

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