Facility Based Management of Child Malnutrition- Lesson Learnt from a North Gujarat Study

Introduction: Malnutrition is a key health problem in India and Gujarat. Mission BalamSukham was launched to overcome malnutrition. Facility-based management of malnutrition is one of two components of this program. Objectives: 1. To evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges (or Threats) of Child Malnutrition Treatment Centre (CMTC) and Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC). 2. To project into areas that needs improvement to overcome the centres’ weaknesses and challenges. Method: In-depth interviews were taken for health workers and beneficiaries of NRC and CMTC of Patan district till saturation of responses. Transcripts were made and themes were analysed based on the SWOC matrix. Results: Major issues identified by the study were absence of continuous financial support to operationalize CMTCs selected under Gatishil Gujarat program, Absence of Paediatrician, lack of awareness regarding child nutrition over night stay at centre and quality of training. Conclusion: Some internal weaknesses and strengths were acknowledged. Only facility-based management of SAM children did not make a difference in community. Training of ASHA and Anganwadi worker about nutritional counselling, screening and monitoring of SAM child is needed to strengthen the community-based management of SAM children.