»ACTIVITIES
The programme focuses on strengthening efforts to prevent malnutrition in malnourished children who are being monitored and/or accommodated in a Nutritional Recovery and Education Centre (NREC), by providing nutritional and medical supplies. An anthropometric nutritional and mortality survey, carried out in partnership with ACF (in La Bougouriba province), revealed prevalence of chronic malnutrition to be around 34%. This situation is linked to poverty and to problems with access to healthcare (distance, medical treatment costs, transport costs). Training on an integrated approach to nutritional care for people who are malnourished was also organised in Diébougou.
»OUTLOOK
Bringing together the nutritional and dental projects, in partnership with the Diébougou diocese, will enable access to oral healthcare in Bougouriba. MdM will improve the provision and the quality of care for children (registering the NREC for local treatment for malnutrition, ongoing training for NREC staff). We will also carry out information and awareness-raising activities, as well as screening for malnutrition in deprived areas.

»ACTIVITIES
The dental surgery (open five days a week) continues to see around 60 patients per month and, with the support of the district health authorities, provides the services of a specialist dental nurse. This nurse, who qualified in 2008, will pursue further specialist training. Extraction is still the most common procedure at the clinic. Since the mobile unit began work in March 2008, it has carried out 23 outings and was often very well attended. Of the 748 consultations provided, 327 were at the dental surgery and 421 were provided by the mobile unit. 311 extractions were performed. The provision of services, access to healthcare for the most remote patients and the mobile unit’s outreach activities will be
developed.

»OUTLOOK
Provision of information and awareness-raising activities by the PRAH health monitors will enable dental health promotion of dental health and improve access to services. The development of a new price structure (for dental extractions, for example) is planned. With a fixed price system, MdM will cover the difference in costs to help remove financial barriers to accessing care. We will evaluate the impact of this cost reduction on attendance at the mobile unit.

»ACTIVITIES
The MdM project carried out a community health assessment and information and awarenessraising activities. It also provided equipment to rural health structures and training/refresher courses for different levels of health professionals involved in the field of mother and child health. Currently, the second phase of the programme aims to support our local partner organisation, ICODEV, in the management, monitoring and evaluation of this type of programme. The project is also formalising the establishment of obstetric emergency management teams—first in every village within the project area, then across the eastern region.

»OUTLOOK
MdM will withdraw at the end of the programme. This will enable the methodology and implementation of the emergency obstetric management teams to be validated. Other elements include long-term training on health programme management for a local NGO and building up partnerships with civil society, health institutions and the population.