DSW Ethiopia and Nutrition International honor a partnership protocol. Blog | 11. June 2026 Following a series of collaborative discussions involving DSW's global teams and its country office representatives in Ethiopia, a partnership agreement was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DSW Ethiopia and Nutrition International on 26 May 2026. At the MoU signing held at Nutrition International's country office in Addis Ababa, DSW Ethiopia presented an overview of its intervention portfolio, highlighting the scope and reach of its programs. The occasion marked the formalization of a strategic partnership aimed at advancing the pilot implementation of integrated nutrition and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions. The implementation protocol outlines four specific objectives designed to reach targeted adolescents and young people aged 10-24, both in and out of school. The two partners jointly designed operational guidelines for implementing the integrated intervention packages across the platforms. One of the four specific objectives is to conduct an assessment to determine whether DSW-supported out-of-schools' platforms are viable channels for delivering nutrition interventions to underserved adolescents, thereby addressing service gaps. Evaluating acceptability, feasibility and costs of opportunity, including enablers and barriers of improved practices takes into account the perspectives of adolescents, parents and community leaders. The fourth specific objective is to generate evidence for advocacy efforts aimed at mobilising resources, informing policy development, and promoting equitable access to adolescent nutrition and SRH information, services and products. The integrated intervention framework was developed by building on the complementary strengths of both partners. On the one hand, Nutrition International brings specialised expertise in the thematic areas of nutrition and health. On the other hand, DSW Ethiopia has extensive grassroots experience in implementing adolescent nutrition interventions, supported financially by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In addition to the school-based nutrition intervention, DSW Ethiopia has established out-of-school youth clubs, youth empowerment centres, and adolescent and youth-friendly health service outlets. These platforms have added a great deal of value to the viability of the objectives. With DSW's adolescent- and youth-friendly health (AYFH) clinic co-located within the DSW-supported Tena-Lehulum Youth Empowerment Centre in Hosana, both the nutrition intervention platforms and the SRH service delivery points are readily accessible to adolescents and young people. Following the signing of the partnership agreement, the pilot intervention, titled "Optimising the Delivery of Integrated Adolescent and Youth Nutrition and SRH Services," was launched for a six-month implementation period. The pilot is being implemented in Wachemo, Hadiya Zone, in the Central Ethiopia Region and will run through October 2026. Although designed as a six-month Trial of Improved Practices (TIP), the project has already resulted in a tripartite agreement among key stakeholders, driven by the promising prospect of scaling up the intervention at the national level. DSW is co-funding the initiative. Esayas Gebre-Meskel Was Sie auch interessieren könnte: 07. May 2026 When laws put lives at risk. Around 73 million abortions are performed worldwide each year, and nearly half of them take place under unsafe medical conditions. In many cases, these procedures are carried out by unqualified individuals using invasive and dangerous methods. 13. April 2026 Innovation at the intersection: how young african entrepreneurs are using Technology to advance women's health. When the 59th Commission on Population and Development meets this April under the theme of Population, Technology and Research, the conversations will largely take place in New York. But the work being discussed is already happening on the ground, in [...]

Jigawa govt, NI take measures to dispel misconceptions on use of MMS by pregnant women. Jigawa govt, NI take measures to dispel misconceptions on use of MMS by pregnant women: ahmed aminu, Dutse. The Jigawa state government in partnership with Nutrition International (NI) has trained 240 Antenatal Care (ANC) workers to educate pregnant women on the benefits of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS). The capacity-building sessions, held in four clusters in Dutse, Gumel, Hadejia, and Kazaure, is toaddress misconceptions on the effects of the supplements. The training equipped the ANC providers with updated knowledge and communication techniques to help pregnant women understand, accept, and correctly use the supplements. Speaking to The Syndicate in Dutse, Jigawa state capital, an Assistant Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim, said the training became necessary after findings showed that many pregnant women, especially in rural communities, were either skipping the supplements or using them incorrectly due to widespread misconceptions. She explained that some women avoided MMS based on cultural beliefs or misinformation from non-experts who claimed the supplements make babies "too big," thereby causing complications during delivery. "Many women collect the supplements from the clinic but keep them aside without taking them. This places them at increased risk of anemia and other pregnancy-related complications," she said. Mrs. Ibrahim explains the importance of MMS for maternal health. "The supplement improves the nutritional status of pregnant women. It contains essential vitamins, minerals, iron, calcium, and zinc to fill the nutritional gaps that many women, especially in rural areas, face due to limited access to balanced diets." Speaking during the training, the Primary Health Care Manager for Gumel, Malam Ya'u Nuhu Adamu, said the initiative aims to reduce maternal and child deaths by strengthening the capacity of health workers to promote and properly administer MMS. He called on husbands to support their wives in adopting the habit of taking MMS regularly to ensure healthier pregnancies and safer deliveries. A Senior Programme Officer, Ayodele Gbemileke, who represented the Country Director of Nutrition International, reaffirmed NI's long-standing partnership with Jigawa State in improving maternal and child nutrition. He urged participants to step down the knowledge gained to women attending ANC clinics statewide and commended the state government for its commitment to enhancing maternal health services. Participants were encouraged to remain focused throughout the two-day training and to play active roles in dispelling harmful myths surrounding MMS use in their communities.