World Vision Careers in South Sudan

World Vision Consultant: SMART Nutrition survey for Emergency Response for conflict affected population in Juba Careers in south Sudan

Consultant: SMART Nutrition survey for Emergency Response for conflict affected population in Juba

Background

The South Sudan IPC update for April 2016 estimated that 4.8 million people (40% of the total population) were facing crisis and emergency food insecurity in the May-July 2016 period, which fell within the lean season.

The most affected people are to be found in the former states of Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile, where 75%, 60%, 48% and 47% of the population face crisis and emergency food insecurity, respectively.

However, while these estimates also include rural populations, more than 300,000 people comprise the urban poor in Juba, Wau and Aweil towns who are facing a rapidly deteriorating food insecurity as a result of recent violence, economic crisis, diminished livelihood opportunities and the high cost of food.

In Central Equatoria, for example, approximately 20% of the population are believed to be facing crisis and emergency food insecurity, most of whom live in Juba.

In Juba, World Vision, through the support from World Vision Hong Kong and in partnership with the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) is implementing an integrated Nutrition project in 8 health facilities within the urban area.

The project is implemented through health facility based Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) and Targeted Supplementary Feeding programme (TSFP) approach. Primarily, the aim of the project is to reduce malnutrition among <5 children, pregnant and lactating women.

This nutrition project has adopted a 2-throng approach to Community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM). The interventions being implemented to address malnutrition are both preventive and curative.

The curative approach identifies and manages the already malnourished cases through treatment. To be able to reach out to as many malnourished individuals as possible, the project engaged Community Nutrition Volunteers to do active case finding of malnourished cases through community outreaches.

The second approach to CMAM sought to address the causes of malnutrition and the mitigation measures.

Most nutrition related problems are attributed to the underlying causes of malnutrition, which include inappropriate feeding practices, poor social care, poor hygiene, low health seeking behaviour and cultural beliefs.

The project therefore focuses more in addressing the causes of malnutrition through behaviour change communication in the community by providing MIYCF, Hygiene and Health Education.

The implementing staff (World Vision and MOH), Community Nutrition volunteers as well as Mother Support groups will be trained on these aspects, and they will in turn conduct education for other community members.

Survey Purpose and Objectives

The overall objectives are to estimate the level of acute malnutrition among the children aged 06 to 59 months of age in Juba County

· Generate anthropometry and mortality information for Juba county to inform programming and policy interventions;

· Assess the impact of the nutrition project on malnutrition rates in areas of implementation in Juba

Specific objectives