Pregnant women in Koboko tend to have low adherence to antenatal and postnatal care thus contributing to infant and child mortality rates. Care Group Volunteers have been using the care group approach to improve nutrition knowledge among pregnant Lactating Women-PLW and children aged 6-59 months in order to prevent chronic and acute malnutrition among refugees and host communities through behavior change lessons on early health-seeking and good feeding practices to improve uptake of ANC.
Nancy, an expectant mother living in village 8 zone 4 Bidibidi Refugee Settlement was found to have never attended any Antenatal care during her 8th month of pregnancy. On a visit by CGVs, she was found staying indoors due to depression after her husband ran away on hearing about her pregnancy. She was offered psychosocial counseling and escorted to Bolomoni Health Center III where she was diagnosed with anemia due to the low blood hemoglobin count of 6.4 below the normal range.
The CGV together with the community-based facilitator advised her to eat food rich in Iron, improve personal sanitation and hygiene.
During the second home visit, the team was impressed with the noticeable change in Nancy’s physical appearance. To supplement her feeding, she was supported with vegetable seedlings for backyard gardening.
She exclaimed! “I will forever be grateful for how you have saved me from worrying, and I’m now prepared and looking forward to being a mother.”
