Where we work
Lesotho
Makatleho Masoabi, IYCN Country Coordinator, leads a training session on infant and young child feeding for a men’s group. |
In Lesotho, poor nutritional status is one of the most critical health and welfare problems. The impact of malnutrition on children is complicated by high rates of HIV infection among adults: 26 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 years are infected with the virus, making infant feeding decisions a challenge for many mothers.
From September 2007 to February 2010, the IYCN Project supported the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to reduce malnutrition and improve HIV-free survival for infants and young children. We collaborated with a diverse group of partners to support and promote optimal infant feeding practices at all levels, from the national to the community.
Highlights
- The IYCN Project supported a revision of Lesotho’s National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy and national prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV guidelines to incorporate the WHO 2006 guidelines on HIV and infant feeding. The new guidelines will be disseminated countrywide, forming the basis for care and treatment.
- In 2008 and 2009, we trained more than 1,100 community workers to counsel HIV-positive mothers on infant and young child feeding. To reinforce messages at the community level, we trained community health workers; home economists from the Ministry of Agriculture; and early childhood care and development teachers from the Ministry of Education as trainers who conducted workshops on infant feeding within the context of HIV in communities.
- In February 2010, IYCN assisted the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) in launching the National Infant and Young Child Feeding Training Curriculum for health workers. Together with the MOHSW, the project led partners in developing the curriculum to meet the needs of health workers across the country.
News and events
- World Breastfeeding Week: Special gardens to improve complementary feeding (August 2009)
- Africa Forum: Optimizing Infant and Young Child Feeding in the Context of HIV/AIDS (June 2009)
- Brown Bag: A Multi-sectoral Approach to Improving Infant and Young Child Feeding in Lesotho (May 2009)
- Update from the field: Pretesting in Pitseng (April 2009)
- The Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project celebrates World Breastfeeding Week in Lesotho (August 2008)
Resources
- National Infant and Young Child Feeding Curriculum and Participant's Manual (2010)
- Powerpoint: A Multi-sectoral Approach to Improving Infant and Young Child Feeding in Lesotho (2009)
- Success story: Connecting communities with health care facilities (2009) [also available in PDF]
- Success story: Helping babies grow healthy and strong (2009) [also available in PDF]
- Video: Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (2010)
Learn more
Contact
For more information, please contact the Washington, DC office.
Photos: Aurelio Ayala III, Richard Lord, Chief Sempe Masupha
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded this website under the terms of Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-06-00008-00. The information provided on this website is not official US Government information and does not represent the views or positions of USAID or the US Government.