Designing a Malnutrition Prevention Programme for Children Under Five in Sokoto State

Severe child malnutrition in Sokoto State remains at emergency levels, and the design of evidence-based, culturally adapted prevention programmes targeting the critical 1,000-day window is a priority for state health programming. This study designed a community-based malnutrition prevention programme for children under five in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. A programme design methodology was employed, combining secondary analysis of 2023 nutrition survey data, a formative research phase in four communities in Sokoto and Tambuwal LGAs, and expert consultation. Formative research involving focus groups with 40 mothers and semi-structured interviews with 12 community health workers and four nutrition programme officers identified the primary drivers of malnutrition: low exclusive breastfeeding rates (31.4 percent), low dietary diversity (mean IDDS 2.8 out of 7), poor complementary feeding knowledge, and high household food insecurity. Evidence from successful community nutrition programmes in West Africa informed intervention selection. The designed programme encompasses eight interventions: mother-infant care group sessions, community-based complementary feeding counselling using local food demonstrations, community kitchen gardens for dietary diversity improvement, therapeutic feeding referral pathways for severe acute malnutrition, monthly growth monitoring by CHWs, social behaviour change communication, male caregiver engagement sessions, and quarterly programme review meetings. Expert validation by nine nutrition and community health specialists confirmed evidence basis and feasibility. The study recommends a 12-month pilot in two LGAs with anthropometric outcome tracking.

Keywords: malnutrition prevention, children under five, programme design, Sokoto State, North West Nigeria