In Uganda, SPRING is enhancing the capacity of health facilities to implement nutrition assessment, counseling, and support (NACS)1 activities. To inform the design of these activities, SPRING/Uganda conducted a health facility assessment of Level-III and -IV health centers in Kisoro and Ntungamo districts, as well as in former NuLife-supported hospitals in those two districts and seven additional districts (Ibanda, Bushenyi, Kabale, Kanungu, Sheema, Mbarara, and Rukingiri).
SPRING designed the study to do the following:
- Assess the existing capacity of the health facilities to implement nutrition interventions for populations in their catchment areas
- Determine knowledge and skills of health workers in relation to nutrition-related care and support services for clients
- Identify gaps in information and feedback mechanisms to improve the quality of services in selected health facilities
- Assess the sources of motivation for improved performance among health workers
- Understand the types of activities being implemented by nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations in the health facility catchment areas and assess their involvement in any nutrition-related activities
- Assess the role of CHWs in delivering preventive and treatment nutrition services for vulnerable groups, including people living with HIV.
Download the assessment report (above) to learn more about this assessment and its results.
Footnotes
1 NACS is a framework through which nutrition services are integrated into existing health services. Key features of NACS include defining a standard of care; bringing together existing nutrition services, protocols, actors and stakeholders at the community and health facility levels; and emphasizing referrals and effective coordination between all partners for optimal quality and impact.