Prevention and management of childhood overweight in Mali
Description
The nongovernmental organisation ACA-Mali is committed to reducing the prevalence of overweight in children under 5 years of age through an integrated prevention and nutritional care programme. This commitment is part of a multisectoral approach combining awareness raising, improvement of dietary practices and strengthening of the monitoring and care system for children at risk.
To achieve this objective, ACA-Mali will implement the following actions:
1. Awareness raising and nutritional education:
• Organisation of awareness campaigns on balanced diets for parents, caregivers and communities.
• Dissemination of key messages on good dietary practices and the prevention of overweight via accessible communication channels (community radio, posters, social networks, educational talks).
• Training of community health workers and educators on child nutrition and the risks associated with overeating and excessive consumption of ultra-processed products.
2. Promotion of healthy and local food:
• Encouragement of the consumption of nutritious and balanced local foods.
• Awareness raising on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and appropriate dietary diversification.
• Support for vulnerable families to access healthy products through the family garden programmes and local nutritious food production initiatives.
3. Strengthening screening and care:
• Establishment of a system for regular monitoring of children's weight and growth in community health centres and at home.
• Capacity-building of health workers for early detection of overweight and nutritional imbalances.
• Referral of children identified as at risk to appropriate care structures, with personalised nutritional monitoring.
4. Collaboration and Advocacy for Adapted Nutrition Policies
• Work in synergy with health authorities, civil society organizations, and private sector actors to strengthen the implementation of policies to combat child malnutrition.
• Advocate for the integration of overweight prevention into national nutrition and child health strategies.
GNR assessment
| Verification status |
Verified
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| SMARTness index |
High
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Details
| Target population characteristic |
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| Global nutrition target(s) |
Childhood overweight
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| Nutrition Action Classification(s) |
Impact >
Obesity and diet-related NCDs
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| Linked event(s) |
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| N4G Summit theme(s) |
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Measurement
| Key indicator | Prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age (percent) |
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| Measurement plan | Use data collected by others |
| Value | Measurement date | |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 5% | July 2022 |
| Target | 3% | December 2025 |
