AR-MATERNAL & CHILD HLTH & NUTRITION

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The project will assist the government in improving the health and nutrition status of poor mothers and children and promoting comprehensive care and development of preschoolers in participating municipalities in six provinces. The project will also support government efforts to decentralize social service management and financing from the provinces to the municipalities. The project will be targeted to promote efficiency and service quality improvements in existing maternal, child health, nutrition and early childhood development programs. The project has three principal components. The first one, maternal, child health, and nutrition will reinforce the capacity of maternal and child health and nutrition programs to provide appropriate and timely care to low-income mothers and children, both on an ambulatory basis and in maternity wards and neonatal units of local hospitals. To this end, the project will support the delivery of a package of basic health and nutrition services that integrate health promotion, disease prevention, early detection, and treatment interventions. The second component, early childhood development aims to support mental and social development of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. To this end, the project will support the progressive transformation of preschool feeding programs and kindergartens into child development centers where services would be offered, including nutrition, motivational activities, and preschool education. The third component, institutional strengthening will enhance the long-term capacity of provinces and municipalities for planning, managing, and implementing mother and child-related activities. Under this component the project will finance training activities, information systems, social communication, technical assistance for reorganizing school feeding programs, and studies. The project will also finance the preparation of a second operation.