‘Men are not playing their roles’, maternal and child nutrition in Nanoro, Burkina Faso

  • Public Health Nutrition, Volume 24, No. 12, Year 2021

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Study Justification:
– The study aimed to collect context-specific insights into maternal and child health and nutrition issues in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
– The objective was to explore potential solutions to address these issues and improve the well-being of mothers and children in the region.
– The study focused on understanding the barriers to optimal nutrition, with a particular emphasis on gender inequality and its impact on food access and healthcare.
Highlights:
– The study involved eleven focus groups with men and women from different communities in Nanoro.
– Participants identified poverty and socially/culturally determined gender roles as major barriers to optimal nutrition.
– Women reported limited access to food during pregnancy and inadequate healthcare and income-generating opportunities.
– The communities recognized the need for both food donations and improved agricultural technologies to enhance their food production.
– Participants emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment and support from men in addressing malnutrition.
– The study highlighted the significance of nutrition-sensitive interventions and the integration of a sustainable multi-sectorial approach.
Recommendations:
– Implement nutrition-sensitive interventions that address the underlying causes of malnutrition, including poverty and gender inequality.
– Enhance women’s empowerment through education, training, and access to resources, enabling them to play a more active role in reducing malnutrition.
– Improve the healthcare system to ensure better access to healthcare services for pregnant women and children.
– Support communities in enhancing their food production through the introduction of improved agricultural technologies.
– Integrate a sustainable multi-sectorial approach that goes beyond food support, involving various stakeholders and sectors to address the complex issue of malnutrition.
Key Role Players:
– Local researchers and community leaders: Facilitate community engagement and provide insights into local context.
– Government agencies: Provide policy support and resources for implementing interventions and improving healthcare services.
– Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): Assist in implementing nutrition programs, women’s empowerment initiatives, and agricultural development projects.
– Healthcare professionals: Play a crucial role in delivering healthcare services and providing guidance on maternal and child nutrition.
– Community members: Actively participate in implementing and sustaining the recommended interventions.
Cost Items for Planning Recommendations:
– Education and training programs for women: Budget for conducting workshops, providing materials, and hiring trainers.
– Healthcare system improvement: Allocate funds for infrastructure development, equipment procurement, and training of healthcare professionals.
– Agricultural technology implementation: Include costs for introducing improved farming techniques, providing necessary equipment, and training farmers.
– Nutrition programs: Budget for the implementation of nutrition-sensitive interventions, including food support, education, and counseling.
– Community engagement and awareness campaigns: Allocate funds for organizing community meetings, workshops, and information dissemination activities.
Please note that the provided cost items are general categories and do not represent actual cost estimates. The actual budget would depend on the specific context and resources available.

The strength of evidence for this abstract is 7 out of 10.
The evidence in the abstract is moderately strong. The study used focus groups to collect context-specific insights into maternal and child health and nutrition issues in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. The participants included both men and women from different age groups, which adds to the diversity of perspectives. The abstract highlights the barriers to optimal nutrition, such as gender inequality, poverty, limited access to food and healthcare, and the need for improved agricultural technologies. The findings emphasize the importance of nutrition-sensitive interventions and women’s empowerment. To improve the strength of the evidence, the abstract could provide more specific details about the methodology used, such as the selection criteria for participants and the data analysis process. Additionally, including statistical information or specific examples from the focus group discussions would further support the findings.

Objective: To collect context-specific insights into maternal and child health and nutrition issues, and to explore potential solutions in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. Design: Eleven focus groups with men and women from eleven communities, facilitated by local researchers. Setting: The study took place in the Nanoro Health district, in the West-Central part of Burkina Faso. Participants: Eighty-six men (18-55 years) and women by age group: 18-25; 26-34 and 35-55 years, participated in the group discussions. Results: Participants described barriers to optimal nutrition of mothers and children related to a range of community factors, with gender inequality as central. Major themes in the discussions are related to poverty and challenges generated by socially and culturally determined gender roles. Sub-themes are women lacking access to food whilst pregnant and having limited access to health care and opportunities to generate income. Although communities believe that food donations should be implemented to overcome this, they also pointed out the need for enhancing their own food production, requiring improved agricultural technologies. Given the important role that women could play in reducing malnutrition, these communities felt they needed to be empowered to do so and supported by men. They also felt that this had to be carried out in the context of an enhanced health care system. Conclusions: Findings reported here highlight the importance of nutrition-sensitive interventions and women’s empowerment in improving maternal and child nutrition. There is a need to integrate a sustainable multi-sectorial approach which goes beyond food support.

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Innovation 1: Nutrition-Sensitive Interventions Program
Develop and implement a comprehensive nutrition-sensitive interventions program that addresses the barriers identified in the study. This program should focus on improving the nutritional status of mothers and children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. It should include strategies to increase access to nutritious food, provide healthcare services, and educate women and their families about proper nutrition and health practices.

Innovation 2: Women’s Empowerment Program
Create a women’s empowerment program that aims to empower women in Nanoro to take an active role in improving maternal and child nutrition. This program should provide education and training on nutrition, healthcare, and income generation. It should also promote gender equality and encourage women to participate in decision-making processes related to nutrition and healthcare.

Innovation 3: Men’s Engagement Program
Implement a program that engages men in the process of improving maternal and child health. This program should raise awareness among men about the importance of their support and involvement in nutrition and healthcare. It should encourage men to actively participate in decision-making processes and promote gender equality within the community.

Innovation 4: Strengthening Healthcare System
Enhance the healthcare system in Nanoro to ensure that women have access to quality healthcare services. This may involve improving infrastructure, increasing the availability of healthcare professionals, and providing necessary resources and equipment. Strengthening the healthcare system will improve access to prenatal and postnatal care, leading to better maternal and child health outcomes.

Innovation 5: Sustainable Agriculture Support
Support the communities in Nanoro to improve their food production through sustainable agriculture practices. Introduce improved agricultural technologies and provide training and resources to help increase food security and ensure access to nutritious food for pregnant women and their families.

Innovation 6: Multi-Sectorial Approach
Adopt a multi-sectorial approach that integrates various sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and social services. This approach should involve collaboration and coordination among different stakeholders to address the complex issues related to maternal and child nutrition. By working together, a comprehensive and sustainable solution can be developed and implemented in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
AI Innovations Description
Based on the study conducted in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, the following recommendation can be developed into an innovation to improve access to maternal health:

1. Implement nutrition-sensitive interventions: Develop and implement programs that focus on improving the nutritional status of mothers and children. These interventions should address the barriers identified in the study, such as limited access to food and healthcare, and aim to improve the overall health and well-being of women and children.

2. Empower women: Recognize the important role that women play in reducing malnutrition and empower them to take an active role in improving maternal and child nutrition. This can be done through education and training programs that provide women with knowledge and skills related to nutrition, healthcare, and income generation.

3. Engage men: Involve men in the process of improving maternal and child health by raising awareness about the importance of their support and involvement. Encourage men to actively participate in decision-making processes related to nutrition and healthcare, and promote gender equality within the community.

4. Strengthen the healthcare system: Enhance the existing healthcare system to ensure that women have access to quality healthcare services, including prenatal and postnatal care. This may involve improving infrastructure, increasing the availability of healthcare professionals, and providing necessary resources and equipment.

5. Foster sustainable agriculture: Support the communities in improving their food production by introducing improved agricultural technologies and practices. This can help increase food security and ensure that women have access to nutritious food during pregnancy and beyond.

6. Adopt a multi-sectorial approach: Integrate various sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and social services, to address the complex issues related to maternal and child nutrition. This approach should involve collaboration and coordination among different stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable solution.

By implementing these recommendations, it is expected that access to maternal health will be improved, leading to better nutrition outcomes for mothers and children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso.
AI Innovations Methodology
To simulate the impact of the main recommendations on improving access to maternal health in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, the following methodology can be used:

1. Baseline data collection: Gather data on the current state of maternal health and nutrition in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. This can include information on maternal mortality rates, nutritional status of mothers and children, healthcare access, and gender dynamics within the community.

2. Design intervention scenarios: Develop different scenarios based on the main recommendations outlined in the abstract. Each scenario should represent a specific combination of interventions, such as implementing nutrition-sensitive interventions, empowering women, engaging men, strengthening the healthcare system, fostering sustainable agriculture, and adopting a multi-sectorial approach.

3. Define indicators: Identify key indicators that will be used to measure the impact of the interventions on improving access to maternal health. These indicators can include maternal mortality rates, nutritional status of mothers and children, healthcare utilization rates, and gender equality measures.

4. Data collection: Collect data on the selected indicators for each scenario. This can involve conducting surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions with community members, healthcare providers, and other relevant stakeholders. Additionally, data on healthcare utilization and agricultural production can be collected from existing sources.

5. Data analysis: Analyze the collected data to assess the impact of each intervention scenario on the selected indicators. Compare the results of each scenario to the baseline data to determine the extent of improvement in access to maternal health.

6. Interpretation and recommendations: Interpret the findings of the data analysis and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the different interventions in improving access to maternal health. Based on the results, provide recommendations for the implementation of specific interventions or combinations of interventions that are most likely to have a positive impact.

7. Monitoring and evaluation: Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan to track the progress of the recommended interventions over time. This can involve regular data collection and analysis to assess the sustainability and long-term impact of the interventions.

By following this methodology, researchers can simulate the impact of the main recommendations outlined in the abstract on improving access to maternal health in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. This will provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in designing and implementing effective interventions to address the identified barriers and improve maternal and child nutrition in the region.


Statistics:
Citations: 4
Identifiers:
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020003365
ISSN: 13689800
Research Areas:
Community Interventions, Food Security, Health System and Policy, Maternal Access, Maternal and Child Health, Social Determinants
Study Countries:
Burkina Faso
Participants Gender:
Male & Female
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