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Concern's Early-Child Development Officer Mahamadou BoubakarConcern's Early-Child Development Officer Mahamadou BoubakarConcern's Early-Child Development Officer Mahamadou Boubakar

Health and Nutrition Responses in Fragile Contexts

International Learning Event

Health and Nutrition Responses in Fragile Contexts
International Learning Event

On May 23rd 2023, speakers from Concern, Emergency Nutrition Network, UNICEF and ECHO discussed experiences and learnings from the Enhanced Responses to Nutrition Emergencies (ERNE) Programme at an event titled Rethinking Responses to Chronic Health and Nutrition Emergencies in Fragile Contexts.

From June 2020, Concern Worldwide began implementing Enhanced Responses to Nutrition Emergencies (ERNE), a three year, multi-country programme combining lifesaving emergency health and nutrition treatment with shock-responsive approaches, cash transfers and community resilience building. DG ECHO supported this new model of multi-sectoral nutrition response under a Pilot Programmatic Partnership (PPP).

Drawing on experiences from the implementation of ERNE in DRC, Ethiopia, Niger, South Sudan and Sudan between 2020 and 2023, the event facilitated discussion amongst the humanitarian community and helped chart a way forward towards creating a step change in how we address severe hunger and malnutrition in the most fragile contexts.

This online, interactive learning event brought together key practitioners and experts in the sectors of health and nutrition, food security and anticipatory action. Participants shared their own experiences and contributed to the debate and learning on this critical area of humanitarian action.

Programme

Day 1: Tuesday, 23rd May - Main Event (9.00h – 16.00h UTC+1)

09.00 - 09.05: Welcome

Connell Foley, Director of Strategy, Advocacy and Learning, Concern Worldwide

Bio: Connell Foley is Director of Strategy, Advocacy and Learning at Concern Worldwide. He is responsible for the key functions of organisational policy and strategy, programme quality, technical support, research, learning and innovation as well as global advocacy. Concern’s international advocacy focuses primarily on hunger (especially nutrition and community resilience), climate change and conflict. He is currently Co-Chair of the SUN Executive Committee.

09.05 - 09.15: Opening Remarks

09.15 - 09.30: Setting the Scene: What are the challenges to ensuring child survival and good nutrition in fragile contexts?

09.30 - 10.10: Session 1: Towards a new model of Emergency Nutrition Response

10.10 - 10.20: Comfort Break + ERNE Slideshow

10.20 - 12.30: Session 2: Challenges and promising approaches to building more resilient health systems in fragile contexts

12.30 - 13.30: Lunch break

13.30 - 14.30: Session 3: Which approaches can help anticipate and prevent nutrition crises? 

14.30 - 14.40: Comfort Break & ERNE Slideshow

14.40 - 15.40: Panel Discussion: How can we further strengthen emergency health and nutrition responses in fragile contexts? 

15.40 - 16.00: Closing Remarks

Day 2: Wednesday, 24th May (14.00 – 15.30 UTC+1) – Side Event

Way forward for the Surge Approach (CMAM and Health): Launch of revised guidelines

This session provided an overview of key learning generated within the ERNE programme, and via the Global CMAM Surge Technical Working Group and West Africa CMAM Surge Taskforce which has informed the revision of the “Surge Approach Orientation Guide”. A short introduction to the guide and updated tools and resources was given.

View the session here.

Facilitators: 

  • Lucy Lafferty, Health and Nutrition Surge Manager, ERNE Programme Co-ordination Unit, Concern Worldwide
  • Mariama Mahamadou, National Expert - CMAM Surge, Concern Worldwide, Niger

Bios: Mariama is the National Expert for CMAM Surge on the Concern Worldwide team in Niger and has been a pioneer in the implementation of CMAM Surge in Niger and elsewhere since 2014. In her role as manager of the National Surge Task Force for 3 years she coordinated national and international workshops on CMAM Surge, trained trainers on CMAM/Health Surge, and provided support to the 8 NGO partners implementing the Surge approach in Niger (IRC, SCI, HELP, CRF, ACF, COOPI, CRF, GOAL). She has provided training to implementing partners (including Ministry of Health) in Chad, and online coaching to implementers in Burkina Faso. Mariama has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition, and has trained in midwifery and community health. She has worked in the humanitarian field for the past 18 years, with Concern Worldwide, Médecins du Monde France and International Relief in Development.

See Lucy's bio above. 

Watch the sessions

Event Opening Session

Session 1: Towards a new model of Emergency Nutrition Response

Session 2: Challenges and promising approaches to building more resilient health systems in fragile contexts

Session 3: Which approaches can help anticipate and prevent nutrition crises? 

Panel Discussion: How can we further strengthen emergency health and nutrition responses in fragile contexts? 

Breakout Room 1

Continuing health and nutrition services amidst massive floods in Unity State, South Sudan; Mobile health and nutrition teams in Ethiopia

Breakout Room 2

From CMAM Surge to Health Surge in Niger; Steps towards integration of Health and Nutrition services in South Sudan

Breakout Room 3

Nutrition supplies pipeline breaks – Ethiopian Context; Managing Nutrition Supplies – Sudan’s ERNE programme experience.

Recommendations from Breakout Sessions

Further information

Practical information

This event was held on Zoom, with live English/French interpretation.

Background and Outcomes

Media

*This learning event was funded by the European Union, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department (ECHO). The views expressed during the event should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion or positions of the European Union.

Our impact in 2023

15.5 M icon
15.5 M

people reached through our emergency response

9 M icon
9 M

people reached through our health interventions

2.3 M icon
2.3 M

people reached through our livelihoods programmes

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