Malnutrition in all its forms remains a persistent barrier to health and development across Africa, from children who are too short for their age to adults living with diet-related disease. Tackling it does not require every frontline worker to be a nutritionist, but it does require a shared understanding of what good nutrition looks like, how to spot when it is failing and which actions make a difference at household and community level.

The Improving Health and Nutrition Fundamentals Training Course builds that understanding from the ground up. Participants begin with nutrients, food groups and the nutritional needs of different life stages, then examine the causes and consequences of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight. Anthropometric assessment is taught hands-on, followed by maternal and child feeding practices, hygiene and sanitation links, and the main programme approaches used by health ministries and NGOs, including supplementation, fortification, community management of acute malnutrition and behaviour change communication.

The teaching style suits newcomers to the field. Short explanations are followed by measurement practice with scales, height boards and MUAC tapes, counselling role-plays and small group work on real community scenarios. Each participant finishes by sketching a simple nutrition action plan for their own facility, project or community.

On completing the five days, participants will be able to:

• Describe the functions of macronutrients and micronutrients and the dietary needs of children, adolescents, pregnant women and older people.
• Distinguish stunting, wasting, underweight, micronutrient deficiency and overweight, and explain their consequences.
• Use the UNICEF conceptual framework to identify the immediate, underlying and basic causes of malnutrition in a community.
• Take and record weight, height and MUAC measurements accurately and interpret them against WHO growth standards.
• Promote recommended breastfeeding, complementary feeding and maternal nutrition practices through clear counselling messages.
• Differentiate nutrition-specific from nutrition-sensitive interventions and give examples of each.
• Identify children who need referral for acute malnutrition and follow a basic screening and referral pathway.

Anyone whose work touches maternal, child or community health will benefit, particularly:

• Community health workers and community health volunteers
• Nurses, midwives and clinical officers in primary health facilities
• Public health and nutrition officers new to the role
• NGO and humanitarian programme officers in health, food security and livelihoods
• Agricultural extension officers supporting household food production
• School health and school feeding coordinators
• Early childhood development caregivers and social workers
• Members of district and county health management teams

By the final session, each participant will take away:

• Hands-on competence with scales, length and height boards and MUAC tapes.
• A quick-reference guide to growth indicators, z-score cut-offs and referral criteria.
• A set of tested counselling messages on breastfeeding, complementary feeding and dietary diversity.
• A completed causal analysis of malnutrition for a case community.
• A short nutrition action plan for their own facility, project or community.
• A clear picture of where nutrition fits within health, agriculture, WASH and education programmes.

Learning is practical and pitched for participants who are new to nutrition. Sessions combine:

• Short illustrated explanations of nutrition concepts in plain language
• Measurement practice at stations equipped with scales, height boards and MUAC tapes
• Counselling role-plays with feedback from the facilitator and peers
• Community case studies drawn from rural, urban and emergency settings
• Group work that builds towards each participant's own action plan

A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy is awarded to every participant who attends the full five days and completes the measurement practicals and action-planning exercise.