Maternal and Child Nutrition and Health Results Project

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The development objective of the Maternal and Child Nutrition and Health Results Project for Gambia, is to increase the utilization of community nutrition and primary maternal and child health services in selected regions in the recipient's territory. There are three components to the project, the first component being community mobilization for social and behavior change. This component will focus on community-based promotion of key family practices (i.e., the 12 family and community practices that promote child survival, growth and development)6 and health care seeking behaviors for improved maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes through: (i) Provision of conditional cash transfers to communities and village support groups (VSG) to increase demand for and utilization of health and nutrition services through counseling and timely referrals for life-saving health services (e.g., hygiene, sanitation, counseling on infant and young child feeding, delayed first pregnancy and child spacing, referral of pregnant women and children with danger signs to health centers). The second component is the delivery of selected primary health care services. This component aims to support the delivery of selected nutrition and health care services at primary, and, where needed, referral health care levels, through: (a) provision of performance-based grant to health centers for the delivery of a predefined package of maternal and child health and nutrition services at primary and referral health care facilities; and (b) provision of startup support for effective service delivery, including the implementation of selected health care waste management measures. Finally, the third component is the capacity building for service delivery and results-based management.