Infant and Young Child Feeding: Creating Hope for a Generation Free of HIV in Rwanda
By Espérance Nikuze
Kigali, Rwanda
June 15, 2009

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a leader in HIV-exposed infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in Rwanda, has been providing technical assistance to the national infant feeding program since 2007.

In collaboration with two partners — PATH and TRAC Plus — EGPAF has developed tools and materials to strengthen implementation of IYCF, including: educational flip charts that health care providers use during counseling sessions; informational brochures for HIV-positive mothers; job aids; training materials; and program monitoring tools. EGPAF, with PATH, also participated in the adaptation of the WHO IYCF training module for Rwanda and will support the roll-out of this training in 2009.

Women and children participate in the IYCF program.

Nzangwa Health Center is an EGPAF-supported health facility benefiting from this program as part of the Catholic Relief Services-led Ibyiringiro project. (Ibyiringiro means “Hope” in Kinyarwanda.) Here, as in other health centers, the day program begins with taking children’s weights, followed by an information-education-communication session led by a social worker, who uses the EGPAF-designed educational flip chart. Women participate by explaining what messages they perceive from the images in the flip chart, and they receive brochures about IYCF to take home.

A social worker leads an educational session using a flipchart.

This session is followed by individual counseling and education on good feeding practices, after which a nurse distributes a fortified corn-soy blend (CSB) food to the HIV-positive mothers for their children, aged 6 to 18 months. Each woman receives six kilograms of CSB per month per child.

Families receive their bags of CSB.

One mother who participates in the program at Mwogo Health Center testified to its benefits: “The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation provided me with services to help me deliver a healthy baby. I was very excited to hear about services helping to prevent babies from acquiring HIV infection through breast milk. I followed the counselor’s instructions on exclusive breastfeeding for six months and weaning thereafter. My baby has been enrolled into the weaning food program, I have weaned her, and now I feed her CSB porridge and other foods. She has been tested three times for HIV and all the results were negative; she is now 11 months and healthy.”

As of March 30, 2009, a total of more than 4,000 HIV-exposed children aged 6 to 18 months have benefited the IYCF program. The children’s mothers also benefited from counseling on good complementary feeding practices and breast health over the course of the program.

To date, the program has been launched in 159 sites run by various U.S. government-funded clinical partners, including EGPAF. The project brings together the collective and broad expertise of highly skilled and innovative food delivery organizations, which work in collaboration with the U.S. government, the government of Rwanda, and other partners to ensure that high-quality, sustainable, comprehensive services are improved for people living with HIV and orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda.

Espérance Nikuze joined the Foundation as the Rwanda communication officer in October 2007. Before that, Espérance served at the World Food Program, where she acquired experience in reporting, public information, and advocacy activities. This helped her to develop an effective communication strategy to reach primary and secondary audiences with pediatric HIV messages. Esperance is motivated to work for a foundation that focuses on the essential needs of children.