Deadline: 07-Feb-2026
UNICEF, in partnership with the Government of Lao PDR, is advancing the Child Nutrition Fund Programme to prevent and treat child wasting. Targeting 11 provinces and 100 districts, the programme supports over 400,000 children and 387,000 pregnant women through maternal nutrition, child growth monitoring, and severe acute malnutrition treatment. Civil society partners play a key role in service delivery, community engagement, and strengthening health systems.
Overview of the Programme
The Child Nutrition Fund Programme in Lao PDR is a collaborative initiative led by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF to address child malnutrition, particularly wasting. The programme functions as a catalytic financing mechanism, strengthening government investments while focusing on provinces with the highest malnutrition burden.
Key Objectives:
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Reduce child wasting through preventive and treatment interventions
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Strengthen maternal and child nutrition systems at scale
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Improve access to nutrition services in hard-to-reach communities
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Support sustainable health system improvements
Who is Eligible to Participate
Civil society organizations and partners with experience in:
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Maternal and child health or nutrition programmes
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Community-level service delivery in hard-to-reach areas
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Capacity building for health workers and volunteers
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Social and behaviour change interventions
Target Population
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Children: Over 400,000 children in 11 provinces and 100 districts
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Pregnant women: Nearly 387,000 individuals
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Focus on high-risk areas and the most vulnerable populations
Key Focus Areas
Maternal Nutrition
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Nutrition counselling and education
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Monitoring healthy weight gain during pregnancy
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Expanding access to multiple micronutrient supplements
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Capacity building for health workers and village volunteers
Child Wasting Prevention
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Growth monitoring and nutrition screening
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Vitamin A supplementation and deworming programs
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Infant and young child feeding counselling
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Using routine data for improved decision-making at district and provincial levels
Early Identification and Treatment
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Screening and referral for severe acute malnutrition
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Outpatient and inpatient treatment services
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Community engagement to strengthen trust and follow-up
Health System Strengthening
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Improved governance, financing, supply chains, and planning
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Updating national nutrition guidelines
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Embedding nutrition into pre-service training for health professionals
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Enhancing sustainability and national ownership
How Partners Can Contribute
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Support community-level service delivery in high-burden areas
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Engage in social and behaviour change campaigns
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Strengthen capacity of health workers and volunteers
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Contribute to data collection and monitoring for better nutrition outcomes
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Participate in improving continuum of care for vulnerable children
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Targeting populations outside the designated high-burden provinces
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Neglecting maternal nutrition components
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Failing to integrate preventive and treatment interventions
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Overlooking data collection and monitoring responsibilities
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Limited engagement with community and civil society networks
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Who can partner with the programme?
Civil society organizations, NGOs, and health service providers with experience in maternal and child nutrition.
2. What is the scale of the programme?
11 provinces and 100 districts, covering over 400,000 children and nearly 387,000 pregnant women.
3. What are the main interventions for children?
Growth monitoring, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, infant and young child feeding counselling, and severe acute malnutrition treatment.
4. What are the main interventions for pregnant women?
Nutrition counselling, weight monitoring, micronutrient supplementation, and integrated antenatal and postnatal care.
5. How can partners contribute to system strengthening?
Through capacity building, guideline updates, pre-service training, and improvements in governance, supply chains, and planning.
6. Are hard-to-reach communities included?
Yes, community-level implementation focuses on remote and underserved areas.
7. Is monitoring and reporting required?
Yes, partners are expected to support routine data collection, reporting, and follow-up for sustainable impact.
Conclusion
The UNICEF Child Nutrition Fund Programme in Lao PDR offers a strategic opportunity to address child malnutrition at scale. By integrating maternal nutrition, child wasting prevention, treatment services, and health system strengthening, the programme enables partners to make measurable, lasting improvements in nutrition outcomes. Engagement in community-level interventions ensures that vulnerable children and pregnant women receive timely, high-quality support, contributing to long-term health, resilience, and national capacity to combat malnutrition.
For more information , visit UN Partner Portal.
