Nutrition Coordinator, Dr. Musharrat Jahan, at Concern Worldwide's Nutrition Support Centre at Hakim Para camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Kieran McConville / Concern Worldwide.Nutrition Coordinator, Dr. Musharrat Jahan, at Concern Worldwide's Nutrition Support Centre at Hakim Para camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Kieran McConville / Concern Worldwide.Nutrition Coordinator, Dr. Musharrat Jahan, at Concern Worldwide's Nutrition Support Centre at Hakim Para camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Kieran McConville / Concern Worldwide.

Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition

Why health and nutrition? Our goal of ending extreme poverty can only be achieved by tackling poverty’s root causes – and top among them are poor public health and nutritional deficiencies.

For most of our more than 50 years in operation, we have been leading the way with sector-defining programmes that are changing people’s lives for the better. We work towards the survival and wellbeing of the world's most vulnerable communities, while ensuring they obtain the knowledge and resources to keep themselves and their families healthy and nourished.

Breda Gahan
"Concern is aware of the need to balance curative and preventative approaches to health. We are focusing on improving health through Primary Health Care in emergency, fragile and development contexts."
Breda Gahan - Global Health & HIV Programme Adviser, Concern Worldwide
Concern staff working hard in the Somali Region, Ethiopia Photo: Jennifer Nolan/ Concern Worldwide.
Concern staff working hard in the Somali Region, Ethiopia Photo: Jennifer Nolan / Concern Worldwide.
Halimo Hassan (1 year and 2 months) and mother Khayro Ali Hassan (30) in a remote health centre in Filtu, Somali Region. Halimo is being treated for severe acute malnutrition with the support of International NGO Concern Worldwide. Photo: Jennifer Nolan/ Concern Worldwide.
Halimo Hassan (1) in a health centre in Filtu. Photo: Jennifer Nolan / Concern Worldwide.
Hundreds of people waiting for a weekly water truck to arrive in Kersa Dula, Somali Region, Ethiopia. The people here get an average of 20 liters of water per person for one week, very far below the UN standards. Photo: Jennifer Nolan/ Concern Worldwide.
Hundreds of people waiting for a weekly water truck to arrive in Kersa Dula. Photo: Jennifer Nolan / Concern Worldwide.
Happy children of Buigba Town.  Since the town well was constructed 3 month prior, the town has fully implemented the WASH programme to great effect.  Photo: Gavin Douglas / Concern Worldwide.
Happy children of Buigba Town. Photo: Gavin Douglas / Concern Worldwide.
Lead mothers provide guidance to members within Concern Worldwide’s care groups in Malawi. Photo: Concern Worldwide.
Lead mothers provide guidance to members within Concern Worldwide’s care groups in Malawi. Photo: Concern Worldwide.

A closer look at health and nutrition programmes

Here are just some of the ways our health and nutrition programming is helping to change lives around the world.

CMAM

For 20 years now, our Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach to tackling acute malnutrition has been extremely effective, so much so that it has become the preferred approach for tackling malnutrition internationally.

The central principle of CMAM is to treat malnourished children in their homes. As a result, it reaches more children and reduces the risks and expenses in travel for carers, malnourished children and their siblings.

Children who have been admitted to our programme are provided with weekly medical treatment and given one week's supply of therapeutic food. This micronutrient-enriched food is the key to success.

Now, the CMAM Surge approach is based on the observation that in many contexts, the number of children seeking treatment for acute malnutrition peaks during certain months of the year.

These seasonal ‘surges’ in demand are driven by many overlapping factors, including, for example, the pre-harvest hunger gap, increased incidence of malaria or diarrhoea during the rainy season, women’s workload patterns and movements associated with grazing livestock.

Maternal and newborn health

WASH

HIV treatment and prevention

Syria emergency appeal

Turkey-Syria Earthquake Emergency Appeal

  • Earthquakes have caused widespread devastation and loss of life in Turkey (Türkiye) and Syria

  • Millions affected and tens of thousands left homeless

  • Concern Worldwide is on the ground providing shelter, food, water and heating

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