A poster on display, developed by UNN-REACH asked: Are children receiving the nutrition actions they may need? The answer was portrayed in two graphic formats. A graphic showed various interventions children receive, such as deworming tablets, Vitamin A, and optimal maternal breastfeeding, among others. Second, a map of Sierra Leone broke down nutritional interventions by district, revealing the number of actions that reach at least 30% of the target population.
Panels focused on the underlying issues leading to malnutrition, such as household food insecurity, inadequate primary health services, unhealthy household environment (including limited access to safe water and sanitation facilities) and suboptimal care and support, [1] which is the leading cause of death among children below the age of five in Sierra Leone, even though the country has made some progress in reducing acute malnutrition between 2010─2017 from 8.5% to 5.1%.[2] The national prevalence of under-five stunting is 29.5%, as compared to the developing country average of 25% and the regional average in West Africa 27.7%− all within the ‘high’ range of public health significance.[3]
Resources such as the Nutrition Stakeholder and Action Mapping book were displayed in both the SUN and UN booths. This book profiles key findings from a sweeping mapping exercise undertaken in 2019 such as where intervention coverage is low, using the UN Network (UNN) tool, with support from the UNN Secretariat. The book gave participants a reference point for how the country’s nutrition profile was progressing, along with Tales Be Told, a UNN publication that includes inspiring stories to promote learning across borders.