On May 6-9, 2019, staff from USAID Advancing Nutrition presented on a number of critical nutrition topics at the 2019 CORE Group Global Health Practitioner Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The theme of this year’s conference was Partnerships and Innovations for Community Health.

Representing the Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), Family Planning, and Immunization Community of Practice (CoP), USAID Advancing Nutrition Senior Advisor Peggy Koniz-Booher co-led an information circuit on “Comprehensive Care for Pregnant and Lactating Women and Their Infants and Young Children: Reducing Missed Opportunities.” The session encouraged participants to reflect on how their programs currently link immunization, MIYCN, and family planning services and consider the range of interventions that moms and young children should get at different contact points. Ms. Koniz-Booher co-presented with Jacqueline Wille, a program officer with USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), and Folake Olayinka, the immunization team leader for MCSP.    

Representing the Health and Nutrition Subgroup of the Child Health Task Force, Senior Technical Advisor Sascha Lamstein and Director of Nutrition and Health Systems Mandana Arabi presented on the panel “Breaking Down Barriers to Improve Health and Nutrition: What It Will Take to Improve Nutritional Status by Strengthening Health Services.” Dr. Lamstein spoke about working to improve district-level health services while Dr. Arabi focused on efforts at the national level. Other presenters from USAID and MCSP shared examples of how nutrition services can be strengthened at the facility and community levels. Participants then worked in small groups to discuss challenges to and opportunities for strengthening nutrition services delivered through routine health interventions for infants and young children.

The presentations from each session will be available soon on the CORE Group website.