Implementing the Essential Nutrition Actions Framework in Liberia – the Importance of Family Planning to Improve Women and Child Nutrition

Having babies too soon, too closed, and practicing sub-optimal breastfeeding are known to have negative impacts on the health and nutrition of women and young children is reported in Liberia as in many African countries.  According to the Liberian DHS 2007, nearly half of the women have their first pregnancy before 20 years of age, and 20% of them are identified with under nutrition.  About 60% of women have another child within 36 months, only 29% are practicing exclusive breastfeeding until the baby is 6 months old, and 47% are still breastfeeding when the child reaches 24 months. Over 26% of children 0-23 months are stunted.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare focuses its strategy on a minimum package of interventions that includes family planning and the essential nutrition actions. Implementing the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework is recognized in the National Nutrition Policy as a mean to expand the coverage of seven affordable and proven nutrition interventions at multiple contact points and through communications channels with an emphasis on prevention.  Recognizing the critical links between family planning and nutrition, the MOHSW  has introduced messages and counseling into the Essential Nutrition Actions training to enhance selected family planning practices, namely to delay the first pregnant to allow the full development of the girls before being pregnant, the spacing of pregnancies to allow continuation of breastfeeding to 24 months, and the promotion and support of exclusive breastfeeding with LAM until the infant is 6 months old.

By integrating family planning and nutrition messages, synergy has been created in term of reaching more women and children, particularly young women (before being pregnant) and children 0-23 months and their mothers.  Outcomes are expected in term of better lessening young women under nutrition, low birth weight, and stunted for young children.