Innovative psychosocial stimulation programme to improve care for severely malnourished children

Dr Jean-Gilbert NDONG & Dr Aissatou Diallo explain how psychosocial stimulation has improved the care of severely malnourished children in Koutiala, Niger. The first phase involved adapting the approach to the Koutiala context, and then evaluating the intervention. Overall, it was very much appreciated by the mothers, the main carers and the people delivering the intervention. The StimNut experience was also an essential resource in deconstructing the prejudices of healthcare staff towards mothers of MAS children and in building a relationship of trust between carer and cared-for.
This initiative has strengthened child nutrition care systems, and the idea now is to develop this approach more widely in Mali, and even in other contexts.