A program in Burkina Faso could provide insights into low-cost methods to help developing countries protect citizens from the effects of food price increases.
The key ingredients: Community-based volunteers and simple porridge.
Volunteers from rural villages are trained in basic health, nutrition and hygiene techniques. Because families know them, families trust them. Volunteers are readily allowed into homes and their advice and recommendations are accepted and followed.
Community volunteers in Burkina Faso villages make regular home visits and determine infant nutritional status based on weight, height, age and brachial perimeter. Infants with severe malnutrition are referred to health centers for appropriate care and further follow up. Volunteers help parents and children get to health care facilities, which can be far from villages. They then work with the facilities on care and follow up for the mothers and their children.
Volunteers also provide families with children suffering from any degree of malnutrition rehydration salts, basic hygiene training, vitamins and more.
Critically, volunteers teach parents how to prepare simple, fortified porridge. Even with price increases, porridge is low-cost. It can prevent nearly all child nutritional deficiencies. It is an easy way to prevent malnutrition and get back to health children who suffer from it.
