IYCN on YouTube

Ghana

In 2010 and 2011, the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Infant & Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) Project provided technical assistance to the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to promote appropriate complementary feeding practices and encourage increased use of high-quality, fortified complementary foods to curb malnutrition among children 6-23 months of age.

Working in nine districts of Ghana’s Brong Ahafo Region, the project used a social marketing approach to engage households and communities through radio spots, radio discussions with community health workers and community leaders, and use of social and behavior change communication materials. These behavior change techniques aimed to increase knowledge and application of appropriate complementary feeding practices among low-income households caring for young children.

Highlights

  • The project conducted a literature review of infant and young child feeding practices, anemia control, and iron supplementation activities in Ghana to identify gaps in information.
  • IYCN conducted a baseline survey of 270 caregivers to understand current knowledge and practices related to complementary feeding.
  • The project collaborated with partners to develop a social marketing strategy for promoting improved complementary feeding of young children, which included training 196 community health workers and 137 community leaders in appropriate complementary feeding practices.
  • IYCN aired 855 radio spots and distributed 5,860 posters and 19,428 flyers with key messages on complementary feeding.
  • The project supported GAIN to facilitate collaboration between the Ghana Health Service and Yedent Agro Processing Limited to promote the use of a new fortified complementary food—an instant cereal fortified with daily requirements of vitamins and minerals for children 6-23 months of age.

Download a brief summarizing IYCN’s activities in Ghana.

IYCN resources

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Photo: Aurelio Ayala III