2024 Namibia national SMART survey
Nutrition Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions
Highlights
Namibia is currently experiencing drought, an effect of the 2024 El Nino which is the worst to hit southern Africa region in 40 years. To determine the change in the nutrition situation occasioned by the drought, MHSS, with the support of UNICEF Namibia conducted a
nationwide integrated SMART survey, covering all the 14 regions in the country. Capacity building of the regional MHSS staff to conduct SMART surveys started with training of managers on SMART methodology in August 2024, followed by the training of data collection teams at the regional level, followed by data collection.
The main objective of the SMART surveys, which were conducted using the SMART+ infrastructure, was to assess the nutritional status of both children aged 6-59 months and women of reproductive age (WRA), to determine the retrospective crude and U5 mortality rates in the regions, as well as getting the national estimates of the nutrition situation. Additionally, the surveys assessed water, sanitation and hygiene practices (WASH), specific morbidities for children 6-59 months and health seeking behaviours, coverage of health programmes (vitamin A supplementation, deworming and immunisation), infant and young child feeding practices, as well as the food consumption score and coping strategies of households (HHs).
