CFPs: Community-based Actions to address all forms of Malnutrition in Vanuatu

Deadline: 8-Jul-25

With the objective of having more people, particularly those at risk of being left behind, benefit from more equitable access to resilient and gender-responsive, quality basic services, food security/nutrition, and social protection systems by 2027, UNICEF seeks to partner with a non-governmental organization (NGO) and/or civil society organization (CSO) that can support the MoH in scaling up community-based nutrition interventions to address all forms of malnutrition in North Efate through the MoH programmes on HINI, NCD, immunization, and health promotions.

Through this partnership, UNICEF hopes that the implementing partner will work closely with MoH, Shefa Provincial Health, North Efate primary health care workers including village health workers, and communities to improve equitable access to health and nutrition services by:

building health and nutrition service providers capacities through trainings, job aid and communication material development;
supporting integrated community outreach services;
facilitating nutrition events and advocacies for better food systems; and
generating evidence for the scale up of local nutrition initiatives.

Sectors and Areas of Specialization

Health
- Adolescent health, including sexual and reproductive health
- Health systems strengthening
- Immunization
Nutrition
- Infant and young child feeding
- Malnutrition prevention and treatment
- Micronutrients

Geographic Focus

Vanuatu
- Shefa

Expected Results

Result 1: Improved capacity of health and nutrition service providers in Shefa on nutrition including health and immunization.
- Health and nutrition training, mentoring and coaching sessions on HINI, immunization and counselling for health and nutrition services providers organized
- Job aid tools and communication materials developed and pre-tested:
  - Updated nutrition guidance and messages with illustrations in the child health book including developmental milestones
  - Complementary food recipe book for low literacy audience
  - Instructional videos on length and height measurements, and use of micronutrient powder
  - Home-based instruction guides for management of skin infections, sores, and rashes in children

Service providers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use the child health book as a home-based information, education and communication (IEC) materials
Caregivers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tape
Result 2: More children benefit from a package of high impact health and nutrition interventions
- Demonstration gardens in primary health care facilities and nutrition outpatient sites in Efate established
- Quarterly integrated community outreach (covering immunization, health and nutrition screening, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, MNP distribution, NCD screening, and nutrition counselling) in selected catchment communities of primary health care facilities in North Efate implemented in collaboration with MoH
- Children with malnutrition and/or obesity referred to appropriate health facilities for further assessment and management
- Defaulter tracing of children who have consistently missed vaccine schedule conducted
- Outreach exit interviews conducted to collect evidence on knowledge retention and adoption of optimal nutrition practices
- Follow up visits for identified malnutrition cases (acute and chronic) in communities as needed and include differently abled and unique cases.
- Quarterly nutrition events and/or advocacies on good diets and healthy lifestyle in population-dense communities near schools targeting and involving school-aged and adolescents organized
- A core group of school-aged and adolescent representatives mobilized to push the agenda of Fix My Food in their locality
- High-level nutrition advocacy event on food aid package organized