Introduction
malnutrition
CHILD MALNUTRITION, MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN, BCC, MALNUTRITION
In low- and middle-income countries, acute malnutrition affects 45 million children aged <5 years [Cash-based interventions (CBIs) are increasingly used as a humanitarian response to emergencies and have gained greater acceptance compared with in-kind interventions [The prevalence of acute child malnutrition in Somalia is among the highest in the world as a result of the political instability and conflict afflicting the country since 1991, together with recurrent natural disasters such as droughts [CBIs were first implemented at scale in Somalia in 2011 to respond to the famine crisis and were seen as an essential strategy for providing food assistance, given the existence of functioning markets and the limited humanitarian access to southern Somalia [mHealth, or mobile health, is a term used for the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices. The Cash for Improved Nutrition in Somalia (CINS) study aimed to assess whether modifying a CBI, by adding a one-time conditionality of health screening children at the local health clinic, or a mHealth BCC intervention delivered through mobile phones, could reduce the risk factors for acute malnutrition in children, aged 0 to 59 months, living in IDP camps. We tested 2 hypotheses. Firstly, that the conditional cash intervention would improve vaccination coverage, and secondly, that the mHealth intervention would increase mother/caregiver’s health and nutrition knowledge, and improve caring behaviours, as indicated by improved vaccination coverage and a greater child diet diversity score (IDDS).