2023 Seed Grant Award Problem Statements

Good Health and Well Being

Problem #13: Create a Homebased Maternal-Child Health Training Technology that Focuses on Maternal and Newborn Care and Proper Feeding

Country/Region of execution:  Laos

Collaborating Organization:  World Concern

World Concern is a Christian global relief and development agency whose supporters’ faith compels them to extend opportunity and hope to people facing the most profound human challenges of extreme poverty: World Concern works in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and the Americas. Established in 1955, World Concern works to alleviate suffering among the poor in developing countries and to address the root causes in each context. World Concern works in multiple sectors to build the capacity of village-based groups, non-governmental partners, and other counterparts to lead and sustain their development. World Concern is committed to best practices of inclusive, participatory, and accountable relief and development and maintains rigorous financial and program monitoring standards. Program assistance is provided on the basis of need alone, without regard to race, creed, or religion.

Problem Statement Description:  Infant and young child feeding practices are poor, and low dietary diversity leads to malnutrition for both mothers and children.  

  • Rarely have enough maternal-child health facilities and qualified staff –no specialists.
  • Nutrition for children under five has been the highest-profile health-related development concern in the past 10-15 years.
  • Lao PDR has the highest rates of malnutrition in Southeast Asia.
  • 47% of pregnant women were anemic, and 39% of non-pregnant women were anemic
  • Urban children under five have a 13.9% rate of underweight measurements compared to 23.8% underweight levels in rural areas.
  • 21.5% of urban children are rated with stunting compared to 37.2% of children in rural areas. The data is even higher for communities with ethnic minorities.
  • Under-five mortality rates are also significantly higher nationwide in rural areas, which are 53/1,000, compared to urban areas at 24/1,000.
  • Goals on maternal-mortality rates have not been achieved.
  • Main issues: low rates of exclusive breastfeeding under the age of 6 months, the alarming increase in the use of baby formula, and inappropriate complementary feeding.
  • High anemia, low contraceptive use, and high fertility rates contribute to poor maternal nutrition.
  • High adolescent birth rates among ethnic minorities contribute to child stunting.
  • Harmful cultural practices/beliefs:
  • Babies should be born in the forest or at home.
  • Mothers are not allowed to eat protein and to take a bath and should stay in a hot room.
  • Trust cultural healers more.
  • World Concern has been investing in improving the maternal-child health of communities we work with through education campaigns, capacity building of parents and health workers, and nutrition kits.
  • Proposition: to create a home-based maternal-child health training technology that anyone in the household, even with a low literacy rate, can understand and comprehend.  Basic maternal child health, such as newborn care and proper feeding, are inclusive, gender-sensitive, and contextually appropriate.