Innovating to protect infants in Cabo Delgado
UNICEF and Save the Children have successfully piloted a Mother-Infant MUAC screening tool to detect nutritional risk among infants under six months.
Cabo Delgado, Mozambique - In conflict-affected Cabo Delgado, a simple innovation is helping identify vulnerable infants earlier and connect them to care before malnutrition becomes life-threatening. UNICEF and Save the Children have successfully piloted a Mother-Infant MUAC screening tool to detect nutritional risk among infants under six months, an age group that is often harder to assess at the community level.
Implemented in two districts in collaboration with national health authorities, the pilot screened 5,255 mother-infant pairs. More than 1,600 at-risk infants were identified and referred for appropriate care. By bringing screening closer to communities, the approach helped health workers and caregivers spot problems sooner and act faster.
The pilot also showed strong acceptability among health workers, community agents, and caregivers, demonstrating that the approach is both practical and feasible in humanitarian settings. In a province where conflict and displacement continue to disrupt access to essential services, the results offer promising evidence for a scalable solution that could strengthen early detection and help prevent infant deaths linked to malnutrition.
