Health Emergencies in Large Populations - The H.E.L.P. Course

1. Setting the scene: Participants are able to discuss the effects of acute and protracted crises on people's livelihood, food security and nutritional status

1.1. Participants are able to describe the stages of a crisis and different crisis settings – see also module Setting the scene

• Different types of crises and crisis settings: E.g. urban, rural, rapid onset, slow onset, armed conflict, natural disasters

• Sources for secondary data: IPC, Fews Net...

• Definitions food security, economic security, nutrition, malnutrition

• Possible assets

• Livelihood strategies

• 1000 days and IYCF

1.2. Participants are able to describe the concepts of nutrition and food security

1.3. Participants are able to describe different livelihood strategies based on household assets

1.4. Participants are able to describe the basics of adequate nutrition for individuals and populations

1.5. Participants are able to identify population groups with higher risks of malnutrition and their specific needs

2. Nutrition and Malnutrition: Participants are able to explain the conceptual framework of malnutrition and assess people's nutritional status

2.1. Participants are able to describe the different causes of malnutrition

• UNICEF's conceptual framework of malnutrition,

• Interconnected factors that cause malnutrition

• Malnutrition terminology,

• Associated health risk of malnutrition,

• Malnutrition risk cycle along life,

• Intergenerational cycle of under-nutrition

• Anthropometric tools: Height board, scale, MUAC

• Indicators: W/H, H/A, MUAC, oedema

• 2006 WHO growth references

2.2. Participants are able to explain consequences of malnutrition at individual and population level

2.3. Participants are able to list the different forms of malnutrition

2.4. Participants are able to identify the nutritional status in different age groups or biological groups, using anthropometry

3. Assessment of malnutrition, food and economic security: Participants are able to initiate and participate in food security and nutrition assessments in acute and protracted crisis situations

3.1. Participants are able to explain different types of assessment according to context, objectives and phase of an intervention and how to insure appropriate sampling – see also module Programme cycle management

• Assessment objectives

• Recall secondary data from session1 on setting the scene

• Causal analysis of malnutrition FAO

• Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS)

• MUAC and oedema screening and sampling

• Rapid SMART and SMART

• Focus groups

• Seasonal calendar

• Surveillance

3.2. Participants are able to explain the objectives of a food security and nutritional assessment during a crisis and list the kind of data to be collected

3.3. Participants are able to describe the general steps of a food security / nutritional assessment

3.4. Participants are able to interpret the results of nutritional surveys and identify when acute malnutrition is a humanitarian concern – see also module Setting the scene

4. Interventions: Participants are able to identify relevant and appropriate Nutrition-sensitive and Nutrition-specific interventions in a crisis situation

4.1. Participants are able to explain the concept at the basis of Nutrition-sensitive and Nutrition-specific interventions

• Definition of Nutrition specific and Nutrition sensitive programmes

  • Link between types of interventions and the type of crisis, taking into account:

    • Scale and seriousness of the crisis

    • Context specificities, e.g. rural /urban, pre-crisis situation -> how affected by the crisis, vulnerable population groups, climate, coping / response mechanism in place, etc.

    • The crisis cycle; From slow or rapid onset crisis up to post-crisis / recovery

• Nutritional products according to the type of programme (RUTF, RUSF, prevention)

4.2. Participants are able to illustrate ways to address the causes of malnutrition through Nutrition-sensitive interventions

4.3. Participants are able to illustrate ways to prevent and treat malnutrition through Nutrition-specific interventions

4.4. Participants are able to describe which types of food security and nutritional interventions can be implemented in different crisis situations (taking into account the scale and seriousness of the crisis, the crisis cycle and other context specificities)

4.5. Participants are able to explain the importance of links between different Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) components and other health and nutrition programmes in crisis situation

4.6. Participants are able to describe optimal infant and young child feeding practices and relevance in crisis situations (minimum response on IYCF-E)