Malnutrition contributes to nearly half of child deaths. Because behaviors are central to the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition, social and behavior change plays an important role in sustaining improved nutrition outcomes. USAID Advancing Nutrition works across technical focus areas with individuals, families, communities, businesses, policymakers, and others to put incentives, services, and infrastructure in place to make optimal multi-sectoral nutrition behaviors and supportive norms second nature. We also foster environments that enable gender equality and better nutrition norms and behaviors. To catalyze change we focus on five priority areas.
Our work
- Advances systematic design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes for high-quality SBC with tools, including—
- an overview of six steps in high-quality SBC programming and practical tools for each step
- a workbook on complementary feeding
- an Infant and Young Child Feeding Image Bank
- recommendations for Infant and Young Child Feeding When COVID-19 is Suspected or Confirmed
- SBC measurement guides to support USAID staff and implementing partners who design and conduct an evaluation for a nutrition activity with an SBC component
- a video overview of SBC and how we can tell if we're doing it well
- Shifts social norms to achieve sustained change for better nutrition
- Supports norm-responsive activity planning within nutrition-sensitive or nutrition-specific programming through a guide focused on social norms
- A ready-to-use "menu" offers sample research questions, activity ideas, and indicators for responding to social norms in nutrition programs.
- Participatory research with program participants to strengthen implementation.
- Improves the collection and timely use of behavioral data in multi-sectoral nutrition programs
- Promotes gender-equitable norms and behaviors across our work
- Shares strategies and best practices through a community of practice for family inclusion in nutrition through engagement
- A toolkit on measuring what it takes to provide nurturing care (caregiver resources)
- Accelerates Nutrition Outcomes through Behavioral Science Applications