Past support to Myanmar
Requester:
Background:
In March 2020, the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) announced COVID-19 global pandemic to the general public. Following the announcement essential nutrition services normally provided by basic health staff and local Government health centers were reduced because the MOHS prioritized COVID-19 prevention, containment, and response activities. However, maintaining good nutrition protects people from illness and is essential for their increased immunity, including during COVID-19. In this context, nutrition sector partners played a critical role in providing a minimum package of essential nutrition services during the pandemic to support the Government's overall response against COVID-19. To effectively provide nutrition support to vulnerable populations, partners required capacity building in the adapted programme guidance package that has nutrition interventions like Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) promotion and support and management of acute malnutrition. UNICEF with the Myanmar government and nutrition partners provided online orientation; however, technical capacity was needed to further support and transform this nutrition program guidance.
The request:
The Tech RRT was requested to provide remote technical support to UNICEF Myanmar nutrition team and Nutrition sector partners in developing virtual training tools and digital materials for COVID-19 sector response.
Key achievements:
- Reviewed emergency nutrition programming guidance during COVID-19 and developed an inception report for capacity strengthening in IMAM, IYCFE and micronutrients
- Developed the adapted emergency nutrition guidance during COVID-19 pandemic training package for implementing partners.
- Developed the adapted emergency nutrition guidance during COVID-19 pandemic training package for community volunteers.
- Conducted an orientation on the developed training materials to 71 nutrition sector partners; 18 from national organization and 53 from international organization. 51% females and 49% males.
Resources
Myanmar Community Health Volunteer Nutrition training package
Requester:
UNICEF Myanmar/ Nutrition Sector
Background:
On 1 February 2021, following dissatisfaction with the 2020 November election results, the Myanmar military carried out a takeover of power and declared a state of emergency. The political crisis coupled with the effects of COVID-19 plunged the country into situations of humanitarian need. Unfortunately, there was no survey since the last Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 2016 to assess the nutrition situation, subsequently there was no concrete information to reflect the nutrition status of Myanmar impacted by the political crisis and COVID-19. To improve nutrition data availability and quality the Myanmar Nutrition sector established an Assessment and Information Management Technical Working Group (AIM TWG). The AIM TWG required technical capacity in nutrition needs assessment methodologies and information management.
The request:
The GNC Technical Alliance was requested to provide remote support, including capacity strengthening, to Myanmar Assessment and Information Management (AIM) Technical Working Group (TWG) to strengthen its ability to provide high-quality nutrition data.
Key achievements:
- Developed an assessment capacity development plan for AIM TWG based on assessed gaps.
- Developed a training package for Middle Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening and Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency (IYCF-E) Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey.
- Supported a training exercise on mass MUAC screening focused on protocol review, data review and anthropometric standardization tests.
- Developed AIM TWG workplan.
- Conducted two training courses; firstly, MUAC screening training; targeting 30 AIM TWG members; 24 from international and 8 from national organisations. Secondly, IYCF-E KAP survey training targeting 29 AIM TWG members; 24 from international and 7 from national organisations.
Resources:
MUAC screening training package
Operational and Technical guidance on MUAC screening