Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT04581993 |
| Other study ID # |
Stunting Study Afghanistan |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
N/A
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
February 1, 2021 |
| Est. completion date |
December 31, 2022 |
Study information
| Verified date |
August 2023 |
| Source |
Aga Khan University |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Over the years, there has been some progress made in reducing stunting in Afghanistan, the
prevalence remains high with half of the provinces experiencing rates above the WHO alert
threshold. As part of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP), the World Food Programme (WFP) plans
to implement a stunting prevention programme in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health
(MoPH) through its Public Nutrition Department (PND) in selected locations with stunting
rates above 45%. The programme will emphasis on appropriate nutrition support in the '1000
days' window of opportunity with special focus on proven effective nutrition interventions
such appropriate breast feeding, complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation,
malnutrition treatment and prevention, WASH.
Description:
Over the years, there has been some progress made in reducing stunting in Afghanistan, the
prevalence remains high with half of the provinces experiencing rates above the WHO alert
threshold. As part of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP), the World Food Programme (WFP) plans
to implement a stunting prevention programme in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health
(MoPH) through its Public Nutrition Department (PND) in selected locations with stunting
rates above 45%. The programme will emphasis on appropriate nutrition support in the '1000
days' window of opportunity with special focus on proven effective nutrition interventions
such appropriate breast feeding, complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation,
malnutrition treatment and prevention, WASH. This will therefore take the form of an
integrated approach ensuring the targeted beneficiaries are supported to access nutrition
assistance as well as other complimentary interventions provided in-kind by study partners or
promoted through social and behaviour change communication (SBCC). WFP will target pregnant
and lactating women (PLW) and children aged 6-23 months but will also engage men and players
that influence maternal infant and young child nutrition practices. Through this programme,
children aged 6-23 months will receive lipid-based nutrient supplement - medium quantity
(LNS-MQ) to complement their diets while PLW will receive Super Cereal - wheat soya blend
with sugar.
An operational research study was embedded in the stunting prevention programme by credible
third-party to determine the extent to which the new actions will influence nutrition
outcomes and practices. Introducing the provision of SNF, SBCC as well as formulation and
adoption of local culturally acceptable recipes for complementary feeding from locally
available nutritious food would be new additions to the current Community Based Nutrition
Program (CBNP) package in the implementation phase. During the project implementation,
emphasis will be placed will be placed on the adoption of the locally formulated
complementary foods as well as application of knowledge and practices promoted through the
SBCC activities as part of the exit strategy and ensuring a lasting impact of the project.
Therefore, the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Pakistan
proposes an operational research study with mix-methods including formative research,
quasi-experimental design to evaluate the stunting prevention programme and process
evaluations for stronger evidence base on the effectiveness of proposed interventions on
prevention of stunting and developing viable programmes on nutrition under "real" operational
conditions.
