An app, for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition(IMAM), has been developed as part of the global ‘Transform Nutrition’ programme, a consortium of five international research and development partners funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). [Photo/courtesy]
The app will enable agencies to respond more swiftly to surges in caseloads; to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks; and to improve quality of care and treatment effectiveness in the region.This is particularly important in Kenya with the current severe droughts and the need for quick response to prevent more deaths.Duncan Harvey, Country Director, Save the Children International in Kenya says: “Transform Nutrition and Save the Children are delighted to share for the first time our Preliminary findings from a malnutrition mobile app randomised trial in Wajir, Kenya. Kenya is experiencing its first acute malnutrition crisis since 2011 and working with international research partnerships is vital to help understand the underlying causes of this.”The one-day conference being held at the Southern Sun Hotel will bring together more than 100 participants drawn from government, NGOs and academics to hear the results of more than five years’ research aimed to inspire effective action to address undernutrition.Also being presented are ‘Stories of Change in Nutrition’ from the region (Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia). These stories have been gathered to assess and analyse drivers of change in six high burden countries that have had some success in accelerating improvements in nutrition.Stuart Gillespie, Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and CEO of Transform Nutrition explains: “We wanted to find out what works in the real world Knowledge that is practically useful to improve nutrition needs to encompass a lot more than data and evidence – it needs to include lessons from experience”.