Description

Background: Countries have made significant progress over the last 20 years in improving child survival with under five mortality rates. Despite this progress, many countries still experience inequalities in the coverage of several essential child health and nutrition services, including vitamin A supplementation (VAS), growth monitoring and promotion (GMP), immunization, and regular nutrition screening for early detection of malnutrition. Optimizing the delivery of an Essential Child Health and Nutrition Package ("essential package") may address this issue.

Objective: The primary objective of the study is to assess the effect of optimizing the health system for the delivery of the essential package (the "implementation model"), on the coverage of VAS and on the coverage of immunization (as measured by vaccination for measles). In addition, the study will also assess the feasibility of the implementation model and the drivers of coverage outcomes.

Methods: Target population will be children 12-59 months of age and their caregivers in Kisii County in Kenya and Fatick Region in Senegal. The study will use an effectiveness-research implementation hybrid design with two arms: 1) health system will be optimized to deliver VAS to all children 12-59 months of age using all the routine primary health care (PHC) contact points plus current standard of care (Intervention) and 2) current standard of care (Control). The study will be conducted for a period of 18 months. The optimization model will be implemented for 12 months. Baseline and endline surveys that will collect quantitative and qualitative data will be conducted to assess the coverage of essential child health and nutrition services in both arms from study participants per arm in both baseline and endline surveys and to assess implementation feasibility. Implementation fidelity will be assessed through monthly visits by the research team to health facilities.