Afikepo Nutrition Programme in Malawi

Afikepo addresses Malawi’s problems of undernutrition, particularly in the under-5 children, and their negative consequences on the cognitive, social and economic development in line with priorities and policy commitments of the Government of Malawi and the EU.

Afikepo was conceptualised on the basis of the findings of 2015/2016 Nutrition Mapping which identified a holistic Four Pillar approach (adopted at national level in 2015) in order to improve coherence and complementarity of support to the nutrition sector through a multi-sector integrated approach that scales up successful previous and existing initiatives for greater sustainable impact. These were:

1) Agriculture for Nutrition Security and Improved Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care practices;

2) Primary health care, therapeutic care, support and treatment;

3) Integration of behavioural change and communication for optimal maternal and young child feeding and care (knowledge, attitudes and practices) among communities, learners, professional and frontline workers through Nutrition Education and

4) Governance, Human Capacity Building, Research, Monitoring & Evaluation and fortification

Afikepo though focuses on pillars 1, 3 and 4 activities.

The overall objective of Afikepo is to enhance nutrition security in Malawi and has three Specific Objective  (SO)

SO1: to increase and diversify dietary intake of safe and nutritious foods to achieve optimal nutrition for women of child bearing age, adolescent girls, infants and young children in the targeted districts.

SO2: to increase the use of enhanced nutrition knowledge, awareness, and hygiene practices by the target communities, learners and Programme Development Agents (PDAs - frontline and professional staff from nutrition sector) in their daily routines.

SO3: to strengthen multi-sectoral governance of nutrition contributing both to national and district development planning and monitoring as well as informing national level policies.