PE-BASIC HLTH/NUTRITION

closed

The objective of the Basic Health and Nutrition Project is to improve health and nutritional status in the project area, particularly among poor women and children, by: (a) increasing the use of maternal and child health and nutrition services by extending access and improving the quality of services; and (b) promoting better health and nutrition practices, with an emphasis on preventive care and education. The project area covers 15 provinces in three regions and one area of greater Lima. Most of the populations in the provinces are mountain communities which include a significant share of indigenous people and of the extremely poor. In Lima, the district covered by the project is one of the poorest of the city. The emphasis in the project will be on preventive care in the areas of reproductive health and the health of infants and young children. In addition to strengthening activities such as the follow-up of pregnant women, child growth monitoring and micronutrient supplementation, more demand for preventive services will be generated through an integrated information, education and communications (IEC) component. The project will finance basic medical equipment; vehicles for supervision; medicine, micronutrients and other supplies; computers; office, printing and laboratory equipment; and basic instructional materials for health facilities. The project will furthermore cover the costs of operational research and technical assistance aimed at strengthening services and testing innovative strategies to improve delivery and quality. The project will finance services contracted to develop and conduct mass media campaigns as well as the production and distribution of printed and audiovisual materials for the IEC program. It will also finance training and impact studies.