20201203 Annex 3_72048621RFI00001 USAID Laos Health Portfolio for MCHN Activity.pdf

Annex 3: USAID Laos Health Portfolio Snapshot for Laos Maternal Child Health Nutrition Activity

72048621RFI00001

Annex 3: USAID Laos Health Portfolio Snapshot for Laos Maternal Child Health Nutrition Activity

Improving Health and Nutrition Outcomes for Mothers and Children in Vulnerable Populations in Lao PDR (2020-2025): This program, implemented by UNICEF, through a USAID grant, covers four provinces, Savannakhet, Attapeu, Khammouane, and Saravan and 12 districts. The goal of the program is to improve health and nutrition outcomes for mothers, newborns, children and adolescents, particularly in the most vulnerable geographically or socially hard-to-reach populations in Lao DPR, through strengthening the community primary and nutrition services.

UNICEF will implement activities at community and primary care (health center and district levels) to increase access, demand and utilization for RMNCAH/Nutrition services. The focus of the UNICEF grant is to strengthen demand, utilization and access to primary care services from communities to health centers.

It will be important for Applicants to explain in the forthcoming Application how the USAID bilateral MCHN Activity will coordinate and work in synergy with the UNICEF program. USAID envisions that the UNICEF program and the bilateral MCHN Activity will complement each other, work in synergy, and share lessons learned for rapid scale-up of evidence-based interventions.

USAID Nurture (2016-2021): Implemented by Save the Children, aims to improve the nutritional status of women and children to reduce stunting, focusing on the 1,000 days population. USAID Nurture works in two provinces, Kammouan and Savnnakhet in the central region. USAID Nurture, through health-system strengthening approaches, supports Lao PDR to improve community systems, integrate water/sanitation/hygiene and nutrition (Community Facilitators, and iNwash Village Committees), develop tools to improve adolescents’ nutrition status (small doable actions), pilot private sector partnerships through Village Sales Agents, improve nutrition service delivery by developing counseling materials, nutrition trainings, and revise tools, including the Pink Book, and support district planning for improved nutrition.

Laos National Institute of Nutrition (2018-2020): Implemented by RTI, provides organizational and capacity building to help the institute improve the national nutrition outcomes through research, education, integrated service delivery and care services.

USAID Okard (2017-2022): Implemented by World Education, aims to improve and sustain the independent living and functional ability of persons with disabilities. The activity has three main components: 1) Health, 2) Economic Empowerment, and 3) Stakeholders’ engagement. Okard works at two levels: Tier 1: a system-centered approach focused on Government of Lao PDR ownership and long-term sustainability; Tier 2: examines and supports the individual needs of persons with disabilities and the communities that support them.

USAID Local Solutions Support (2018-2022), implemented by RTI, the program focuses on providing strategic, systematic, and measurable approaches to organizational capacity development with the goal of realizing increased leadership by local partners in determining development priorities.