Young Child Survival and Development

Health & Nutrition

By 2007, quality health services will be delivered in all 20 atolls, and caregivers in the five atolls designated by the government as “points of development”—and that correspond to major population centres—will practice the 5 Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) behaviours: full immunization, at least two doses of vitamin A, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and growth monitoring.

UNICEF Maldives has identified the following strategies to address challenges and achieve our programme result:

• Strategy 1: Health centres in all atolls are properly equipped with supplies and trained staff
• Strategy 2: A revised National Nutrition Strategy is developed that incorporates a horizontal strategy to addressing nutrition
• Strategy 3: A web-based nutrition and child health surveillance system is in place to immediately identify children in need of attention
• Strategy 4: Family health workers mobilize the community and provide knowledge on 5 IECD caring practices

Tsunami Recovery Programme: A comprehensive approach

In the Maldives, where 21% of atoll-based hospitals face problems getting medicine (in comparison with 9% of hospitals in Male’), and where 38% of inhabited islands have no health centre, hospital or private clinic, it is critical to develop policies and systems that will ensure more equitable delivery of services. With so many islands lacking health facilities, it is equally critical to simultaneously build the capacity of family health workers and members of the community.

Together with the government, UNICEF has identified a comprehensive approach to addressing health and nutrition challenges. This approach integrates macro policy level interventions, heavily grounded in data and evidence, with the development of and support to the health care system. This is done by providing supplies and technical assistance, supporting the availability of surveillance data, and developing Early Childhood Development centres in 40 communities. These components are reinforced by family health workers who will stimulate the 5 IECD practices and corresponding choices.