SPF Project



CHILD SURVIVAL & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Funded by: Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund

Programme Manager: Khuzwayo August

Sector: Health

The Saving Lives at Birth Programe supported programming in maternal, new-born and child health, immunization, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, health systems strengthening, water/sanitation/hygiene, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and pediatric HIV care and treatment. The access of mothers and children to medical services and health care during the first 1000 days of life were identified as an important area for the programme to focus on.  The project aimed to develop a systematic care and support system that responded to the needs of children under 2 years to ensure their survival and development. The project created systems that addressed and prevent child and maternal mortality.

Executive Summary

It was with great pleasure that Small Projects Foundation collaborated with the NMCF in implementing the Saving Lives at Birth Programme. This programme incorporated the 1st Thousand days (“Child Survival and Development programme) in the area of Ngqeleni Cluster with five health care facilities and their catchment areas. The important highlights of the programme was the importance of the first two years of infancy and childhood in a child’s development and the impact of these factors on the rest of the child’s life cycle. 

The South African Nutrition Roadmap places nutrition and immunisation in children at the centre of improved education and economic prospects of South Africans in the coming decades. Furthermore, in areas with a high incidence of household food insecurity, young children are at a high risk of not meeting their nutritional needs during this crucial period of growth and development.

As the period up until a child’s second birthday is the most crucial for growth and development, it is also likely the best time for effective nutritional intervention and prevention of controllable illnesses.  Solutions aimed at young women and mothers in food-insecure communities not only improve household-level food security, but impact directly on the nutritional intake of the most vulnerable- infants and young children in marginalised communities. This nutritional intervention helps to identify immune-compromised children and reinforces adherence to treatment by HIV positive women and their babies. The success of the project was based on the support of the NMCF Project Champions, locally based support from the OR Tambo Department of Health, Nyandeni Local Service Area, and Ngqeleni Cluster management team and from identified clinics as beneficiaries of the programme as well as clinic supervisors.

Activities:

  • PLA’s and feedback sessions
  • Community Scorecards done
  • Clinic Balanced Scorecard developed
  • Training of Clinic Committees on the new policy, completed in five clinics
  • File audit of patients record management  in 5 Clinics
  • Project Coordinator, Project Administrator officer/File Auditor contracted for the duration of the project.
  • Patient defaulter tracing manual programme
  • Skills gap identification was done for all community health workers (CHW’s)
  • PMTCT and HCT training done
  • Home Based Care training done
  • Growth Monitoring and Nutrition done
  • Finger Pricking Training for HIV testing and accreditation for CHW’s was done with the assistance of DOH
  • Skills to Care Training of CHW’s in (Care of the Mother, Care of the New-born, Exclusive Breastfeeding and HIV in Mother and Baby modules) was implemented
  • Mentor Mom Training programme of Community Health Workers was done
  • 15 Wellness clubs were established
  • Perinatal Mental Health training for Community Health Workers and Nurses was done and identified cases were referred and managed.

Objectives:

  • Strengthened the systems of 5 clinics located in Nyandeni Municipality (OR Tambo District) through development of balanced score cards
  • Enhanced community based monitoring skills of clinic committee members of 5 clinics in Nyandeni  (To improve services)
  • Empower communities to identify, prioritise and be part of improving quality health services in Nyandeni Municipality
  • Provided greater access to health care services and accountability
  • Improved health record management system that provides an early warning system of defaulters
  • Provided information, skills and action (PMTCT, ANC, Immunisation, growth monitoring) to empower families, communities and service providers to enable child survival, development and thriving through:
  1. Combatting malnutrition, HIV and TB
  2. Providing good nutrition
  3. Providing cost effective solutions
  4. Combatting Mother to Child Transmission of HIV
  5. Improving vaccinations
  • Empower 15 community health care workers with child survival development skills

 

Achievements:

ActivityGroup TargetAge groupreachedoutstandingPercentage achieved
Pregnant women100018-402107Nil210%
Women reproductive age100018-452771Nil277%
Mothers and father 0-3years75018-501221Nil162%
Care givers/guardians 0-3 years50018-50522Nil104%
Children  0-3years25000-35138Nil2015%
Men100018-7067932168%

 

Acknowledgements:

Small Projects Foundation, welcomes the continued support and funding of this wonderful programme by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in the Ngqeleni cluster clinics under the Nyandeni Sub-District and the OR Tambo District. Our grateful thanks for wonderful support, funding and encouragement. Without your funding and support this programme would not have been possible and we are looking forward for the next funding cycle.

We acknowledge the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Nyandeni Sub-district, Health Staff, clinic staff and community health workers for their hard work, support, inspiration and commitment.

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