Objectives and anticipated outcomes

Objectives

• To increase awareness of the importance of a good diet in maintaining health and resisting disease
• To build understanding of the nutritional needs of pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, young children and older people
• To increase awareness of the foods which are essential to make up a balanced diet
• To increase awareness of the risks of HIV transmission through breast-feeding in order for women to make clear judgements 
• To improve the variety of household foods through door-sized gardens, preserving foods and encouraging the use of valuable traditional foods
• To encourage discussion about certain food traditions and taboos which go against good nutritional practice

Anticipated outcomes

• Pregnant or breast-feeding women and young children given more priority when sharing household meals
• Improved health of pregnant women leading to reduced levels of infant deaths
• Fall in child mortality due to improved diet and greater resistance to disease and infection
• Reduced attendance at clinics due to overall improvement in health and disease resistance
• Improved survival rates of healthy babies born to women with HIV/AIDS, through encouraging breast-feeding alone for six months only and then stopping breast-feeding as soon as possible
• Gradual abandonment of unhelpful food taboos and customs

This page was last updated on 22 April 2005