Adaptive Implementation of a Community Nutrition and Asset Transfer Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Bangladesh

Autor: Yunhee Kang, Heeyeon Kim, Md Iqbal Hossain, Jaganmay Prajesh Biswas, Eunsuk Lee, Julie Ruel-Bergeron, Yoonho Cho
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Current Developments in Nutrition. 6:nzac041
ISSN: 2475-2991
DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzac041
Popis: Reduced health and nutrition services as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures endanger children's well-being. The Bangladesh Rajshahi Division of Maternal and Child Nutrition (BRDMCN; 2018-2020) involving social behavior change communication (SBCC) and an economic development (ED) of asset transfer was implemented.This study describes how the implementation modality of the BRDMCN was adapted, and changes in the program's short/intermediate-term outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic.The following evaluation components were assessed:The percentage dose delivery of activities decreased from 66.7-118% at pre-COVID-19 to 0-90% during COVID-19. The SBCC programs were altered to reduce the frequency of activities as well as the number of participants per session. The ED program involving large group meetings was modified to include within-member meetings, individual visits of community facilitators, or virtual discussions. Production activity using received assets continued during the pandemic, with no significant reduction compared with pre-COVID-19. The percentage of children recovering from underweight after 30 d of a Positive deviance/Hearth (PD/Hearth) session, a component of the SBCC program, remained constant at 16.5-20.3 percentage points before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Program activities were scaled back and changed due to the pandemic. The BRDMCN maintained asset management and the degree of short-term outcomes over the course of a 3-y project. Further study is required to determine whether adaptive program management would achieve the long-term expected impact at a population level.
Databáze: OpenAIRE