JOB PURPOSE:
The Provision of primary health care services to drought affected population including women children, people with disability living in the hard to reach areas in Badghis province of Afghanistan. The project will affect medium term change in communities in marginalized and hard to reach areas by providing equitable, inclusive and safe access to health and nutrition services for high-risk groups. This will encompass providing lifesaving health and nutrition services for populations not covered by BPHS, engaging diverse actors to deliver integrated malnutrition treatment in communities and health facilities.
The Provision of primary health care services to drought affected population including women children, people with disability living in the hard to reach areas in Badghis province of Afghanistan. The project will affect medium term change in communities in marginalized and hard to reach areas by providing equitable, inclusive and safe access to health and nutrition services for high-risk groups. This will encompass providing lifesaving health and nutrition services for populations not covered by BPHS, engaging diverse actors to deliver integrated malnutrition treatment in communities and health facilities.
This is a full-time Nutrition Counsellor position to enhance the nutritional well-being of individuals and communities, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups such as pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children. This role involves providing personalized nutritional counseling, conducting growth monitoring, and promoting healthy dietary practices. By educating and empowering individuals with knowledge about proper nutrition, the Nutrition Counselor aims to prevent malnutrition, improve overall health outcomes, and support sustainable health practices within the community. Additionally, the counselor collaborates with healthcare providers and community organizations to ensure a comprehensive approach to nutrition and health education.
KEY RESPONSIBILITES:
- Responsible for registering and conducting a growth monitoring for children under two years ages including measurements (height, weight, and age) and edema in children under two years of age.
• Support screening and classification of children under five years of age into normal, moderate malnutrition (MAM) and severe malnutrition (SAM) categories in coordination with Nutrition Nurse.
• Advice for mothers and caregivers of all children younger than 2 years of age about infant and adolescent child feeding (IYCF) and prevention of infection (IP):
• If the child is normal, promote and strengthen age-appropriate IYCF practises.
• If the child has SAM and MAM, she should provide IYCF counselling till the child's nutritional status become normal.
• Providing guidance on complementary feeding to mothers with 6 to 24 months of age
• Presentation of complementary food as much as possible.
• Use of Educational and Promotional Materials of the Department of Health Promotion
• If the child is severely malnourished without complication provide specific counselling and in cooridantion with nutrition nurse make sure admitted to the SAM treatment services.
• Make sure to check if your child has received vitamin A supplements during the National Vaccination Campaign (NID), if not in consultation with doctor provide the item.
Responsibilities of counselling during pregnancy and lactation
• Counselling pregnant and lactating women about appropriate nutritional practices for mothers including daily consumption of iron-folic acid tablets:
• Make sure that pregnant women are getting enough iron-folic acid (ferfolic) tablets.
• Advice on increasing the consumption of iodized salt daily consummation.
• Giving nutritional advice to pregnant and lactating mothers in accordance to the key MIYCN practices.
• Advice on healthy nutrition for children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years and woman in child bearing ages.
Responsibilities at the Community Level
Work with Community Health Supervisors (CHSs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs), health/nutrition promoter who support community health workers to:
• The Community Health Worker/volunteers shall screen all children under the age of two in accordance key protocols and provide age-appropriate IYCF counselling
• Counselling for pregnant and lactating women about good nutrition during pregnancy and the importance of using iron-folic acid (fare folic) tablets
• Delivering 1-2 nutrition messages to the community each month through specific sessions with the key community members at the health facility level.
• Helping CHW and Community Health/Nutrition Promoters to visit families if children are not well developed and malnourished and need help.
• Recording and Reporting
• Regular information and reports are provided for the review and follow-up of nutrition-related activities mentioned in the Child and Maternal Health Book.
• Identify beneficiaries who need follow-up appointments and share them with the community health supervisor and community health worker.
- Provide psychosocial support to malnourished women, and women with malnourished children or any other physical, mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) though running self-help groups, teaching stress management) with consideration of the CoVID-19 circumstances.
- Filling the IMAM report template on monthly basis and report to World Vision
- Filing information on MNS awareness raising or psychosocial support sessions
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- To maintain all equipment in good working order and report any problems or needs
Other
- Adhere to WV Child and Adult Safeguarding policy and standards.
- Adhere to WV accountability standards.
- To be aware and prepared to implement WV Afghanistan Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs plan under the context of (AHF Project) interventions.
