As Partners of the Americas’ Haiti Nutrition Security Program (Haiti NSP) enters its final closeout phase, the Agriculture and Food Security team is gathering statistics on its three-year impact. Since 2013, Haiti NSP has used a community-building approach to improve nutrition for pregnant and lactating women and young children in Haiti. Fifty-nine health promoter volunteers trained 2,237 women in rural communities to become “Mother Leaders” knowledgeable about health, hygiene, and family planning. These Mother Leaders then spread their knowledge to neighboring pregnant or lactating women in 25,531 households, discussing and advising on health practices.
Haiti NSP’s family-based approach has already had a significant impact on Haitian communities and will continue to do so as the program comes to an end. As of November 2015, exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of an infant’s life had nearly doubled and pregnancy deliveries with a trained health professional had risen from 53 to 88 percent. Families have planted small gardens to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, and, thanks to visits from Mother Leaders, health centers are more fully stocked with necessary supplies. See the graphic below to visually grasp the magnitude of this program.
