Examining the Complex Dynamics Influencing Persistent Acute Malnutrition in Turkana and Samburu Counties – A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study to Support Community Driven Activity Design (WAVE III), NAWIRI

Acute malnutrition in infants and children less than 5 years is persistent in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of East Africa and the Sahel region despite years of investment. In the ASALs of Kenya, the situation is exacerbated by deep-rooted poverty and unequal access to basic services, sustained community conflicts, migration, poor seasonal rainfall/drought and other shocks. Nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive national and county level programs have either not been developed or not implemented effectively.

Objectives: To understand and map immediate, underlying, basic and systemic drivers of acute malnutrition for the development of overarching as well as micro-solutions for the sustainable reduction of persistent acute malnutrition (PAM) and inform pilot studies and Phase 2 (second phase of NAWIRI project implementation) activities in Turkana and Samburu Counties.

Methods: This study is a longitudinal mixed-methods observational cohort study of children less than 3 years and their mothers and/or caregivers in Samburu and Turkana Counties. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized in the data collection processes. Data analysis, learning and adapting are ongoing so that results can inform pilots, theory of change (ToC) review and Phase 3 activities throughout the study.

Study outcomes: To develop new interventions, and to adapt and contextualize existing interventions to prevent global acute malnutrition (GAM); strengthen social and behavior change (SBC) strategies around maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN), water hygiene and sanitation (WASH), community health systems, gender dynamics, livelihoods and resilience, and to inform improvements of the current nutrition surveillance system.