Improvement of maternal and child health and nutritional status through strengthening household food and nutrition security in Moroto District, Uganda

This research project aims to improve health and nutritional status of women of childbearing age and children below the age of 2 years through strengthening household food and nutrition security (FNS). The project area is Moroto District, a semi-arid and post conflict area in Northeastern Uganda.

Children in Moroto District are chronically affected by wasting and underweight. Women suffer from underweight and micro-nutrient deficiencies. The situation is identified as particularly complex. Despite additional investments of developmental organizations and agencies, progress in reducing undernutrition is lagging behind. Bottom-up strategies are needed to get at root causes and to improve underlying social and economic structures. However, there is a lack of knowledge about programs that facilitate social change and impact.

In this project, FNS-programs will be developed, implemented and evaluated by mixed methods, including Participatory Learning and Action (PLA). We aim to create the best possible solutions for practical problems and to facilitate social change and impact. FNS-programs will focus on income generation and maternal and child care practices. The research will provide in-depth insight in mechanisms and impact of FNS-programs and contribute to knowledge on the value of PLA on system and capacity change and on outcomes of programs. This knowledge will be translated into guidelines about how to create and stimulate 'best processes' for effective implementation of FNS-programs.