MDG-Spanish Fund Joint Programme for Children, Nutrition and Food Security

The Joint Programme for Children, Nutrition and Food Security in Cambodia addresses issues of critical importance for the health of women and children, and of highest priority for nutrition and food security as recognized by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) as well as by the UN Country Team and other key stakeholders in the country. The Joint Programme (JP) will contribute to the achievement of three Millennium Development Goals: MDG 1 - eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, MDG 4 - reducing child mortality, and MDG 5 - improving maternal health. In addition, the JP will directly contribute to strategic development goals as articulated in national Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition in Cambodia 2008-2012. Developed through a consultative process involving government partners, UN agencies and other relevant stakeholders, the JP will make an important and sustainable contribution to reducing undernutrition among children 0-24 months and pregnant and lactating women and improving food security. Based on internationally recognized evidence together with lessons learned in the country, the JP will adopt a comprehensive and integrated strategy to achieve its outcomes through providing support to: 1) The development and implementation of a nationwide comprehensive Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) plan comprising mass media, interpersonal communication and social mobilization for breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation for women during pregnancy and in the post-partum period 2) The provision of an integrated comprehensive package of nutrition and food security interventions delivered with intensity and high coverage in two food insecure provinces – Kampong Speu and Svay Rieng. The package will be delivered through government health services and existing community interventions in the areas of education, agriculture, food safety and nutrition. 3) The review of implementation and strengthening of existing nutrition, food security, and agricultural policies; and the development of new nutrition policies 4) The development of an integrated national food security and nutrition (FSN) monitoring system. Thus, the proposal will employ two complementary approaches for achieving measurable impact on nutrition status and behaviour within the life span of the 3-year JP. The nationwide BCC activities for improved Infant and Young Child Feeding practices (IYCF) and increased uptake of maternal IFA supplementation will be paired with geographically focused implementation of an innovative, integrated and comprehensive food security and nutrition package. The lessons learned in the targeted provinces will guide scale-up across the country while the support for policy development and monitoring will promote the use of effective interventions and facilitate evidence-based decisions. The JP has been developed through a process of close consultations between the six participating UN agencies and their respective government counterparts.

Project symbol

CMB/09/50/UND

Admin unit

CO-Bangkok

Start date

01/01/2010

End date

31/12/2012

Total allocation

340694

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

340694

Development Partners

Multi Partner Trust Fund Office, UNDP

Country/Countries

Cambodia

Outcomes

Social Security