Nutrition

Since stunting occurs during a child’s first 1,000 days – from conception through the second birthday – and essentially cannot be reversed, adequate growth and nutritional status is paramount. All of CARE’s programming uses nutrition-sensitive approaches to provide the foundation for good nutrition.

Some programs also focus on nutrition-specific approaches that address the immediate determinants of fetal and child nutrition and development. These programs focus on key home-based practices that produce good nutrition outcomes, encouraging social and behavior change strategies to prompt the adoption of these behaviors. In these programs, CARE implements an integrated model – called Collective Impact for Nutrition – developed through 10 years of programming across multiple countries, where key nutrition-sensitive interventions support a core nutrition-specific, behavior-based approach, not only ensuring the promotion of improved nutrition practices but also helping to provide the necessary foundation for adopting them. This model is grounded in the Lancet nutrition interventions from 2013.

Highlighted Nutrition Programs

Nurture Every Future: Poshan

Poshan aims to improve the wellbeing of children under five and their mothers in Nepal by strengthening the health system for nutrition, improving care and feeding practices, increasing household food security, promoting food safety and hygiene, and supporting women’s empowerment.

Fill the Nutrition Gap Program (FNGAP)

FNGAP's goal is to improve the availability and consumption of nutritious foods, and to reduce anemia in women, children, and in their families and communities.

CASCADE

CASCADE is a five-year, 60 million Euro project, implemented in six African countries between 2022-2026.

Promoting a Sustainable and Food Secure World II (PROSPER II)

PROSPER II facilitated better food and nutrition security, increased incomes, and reduced poverty of participants globally, reaching more than 2 million people, more than half of whom were women.  

Hamzari

Hamzari, meaning “move quickly and steadily toward the goal” in the Haussa language, is a five-year, $33 million program that aims to directly address underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition – while reinforcing and/or strengthening community systems – in one of the poorest regions of Niger.

Collective Impact for Nutrition

Collective Impact for Nutrition aims to eradicate stunting through the power of collective impact in Benin and Bangladesh. It builds on CARE’s successes and learning experiences from Nutrition at the Center, a five-year direct-implementation program.

SHOUHARDO

SHOUHARDO III aims to improve outcomes in nutrition and health for mothers and children under age 2, as well as to increase women’s empowerment.

Southern African Nutrition Initiative (SANI)

CARE aims to reach over 575,000 people through this project in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, contributing to the reduction of under-nutrition in women and children.

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Food and Water

CARE focuses on reducing stunting because this reflects success on many fronts: food systems, health systems, education, WASH infrastructure, and safety nets, to name a few.