NURS FPX 8024 Assessment 3 Leading Global Health Strategic Planning and Policy Development
Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX8024
Professor Name
Submission Date
Slide 01
Leading Global Health Strategic Planning and Policy Development
Hi! My name is——-. I will be presenting the key problem of malnutrition among children between the ages of six and fifty-nine months in conflict-affected areas of Somalia today.
Slide 02
Overview of the Health Issue
One of the most acute health crises in the world today is malnutrition in conflict areas, especially in Somalia. It is estimated that 1.7 million Somali children will be malnourished, and more than 430,000 of them are at risk of dying of acute starvation in 2024 (IPC, 2024). They are not just numbers but the grim reality of the terrible effects of armed conflict on food systems, access to healthcare, and humanitarian aid. The crisis is not unique in the world; 149 million children under five are stunted, and 733 million people had food shortages in 2023, with Africa being overrepresented (WHO, 2024). The most at-risk groups include children, pregnant women, and displaced communities, especially in war, drought, and poverty-stricken areas. Malnutrition is a symptom and a result of systematic collapse in Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
Slide 03
Outcome Goals with Measurable Targets
Outcome goals should be aspirational but realistic: 40 percent reduction in severe acute malnutrition among Somali children by 2026, access to ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to at least 500,000 children every year, and community-based screening of at least 90 percent of the at-risk populations (UNICEF, 2022). Success is already achievable, and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) model has already recovered 96 percent of people with the help of mobile teams and distribution of RUTF (UNICEF, 2024). Malnutrition is not just a call to action to feed children, but to reinstate healthcare access, invest in culturally based interventions, and long-term community resilience in conflict-torn societies (Groce et al., 2024). The problem is relevant because malnutrition is the heart of human dignity and survival.
Slide 04
Strategies to Address the Health Issue
First Historical Initiative
Distribution of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) was initiated in the early 2000s, mainly by UNICEF and other international partners, as a reaction to the rising deaths of children with severe acute malnutrition in emergencies (UNICEF, 2022). Mobile outreach teams armed with RUTF have been used in Somalia to access children in rural or conflict areas (UNICEF, 2025). Clinical success rates of treating severe acute malnutrition in the UNICEF model are high; it has a 96 percent recovery rate (Schoonees et al., 2021). The project was aimed at rapid recovery and survival of malnourished children, particularly those under five years of age, by facilitating home-based treatment (Schoonees et al., 2021). Socially, the distribution of RUTF was needed to meet acute nutritional requirements without necessitating hospital admissions, which lowered the burden on caregivers and the stigma of seeking care (Schoonees et al., 2021). At the cultural level, the RUTF products were acceptable because of the peanut-based content and the simplicity of administration, but the local dietary habits needed to be taken into account during roll-out.
NURS FPX 8024 Assessment 3 Leading Global Health Strategic Planning and Policy Development
Economically, RUTF is not a very cheap intervention, and it depends on external donor support, which is vulnerable to fluctuations in international aid. Politically, the program was complicated by limited humanitarian access and security threats, as well as the interference of armed groups, although the cooperation with the local authorities assisted access in certain regions (Schoonees et al., 2021). The role of the public health officials was to identify vulnerable children, collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and sustain the supply chains in times of instability (UNICEF, 2022). About the environment, war, and long periods of droughts restricted agricultural activities, resulting in food insecurity and reliance on external aid such as the RUTF program.
Slide 05
Evaluation of the initiative showed that the RUTF initiative was clinically effective and life-saving during crises in humanitarian situations. Nonetheless, the target group in Somalia is still vulnerable to malnutrition because of the consistent poverty, climatic shocks, displacement, and failure of the public health systems (UNICEF, 2025). The current focus is now on the integration of RUTF into general health and nutrition programming such as maternal care and resilience-building efforts (Schoonees et al., 2021). Therefore, the social determinants analysis of RUTF showed that there is a need to develop sustainable and long-term solutions that entail more than emergency treatment to include food systems, maternal health, and livelihoods.
Slide 06
Second Historical Initiative
The community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is a program that began in 2001, led by other international partners, such as Valid International. It has since been implemented in Somalia by other international organizations, including the International Medical Corps (World Vision International, 2024). The program usually involves the local volunteers and health workers being trained to oversee child development, provide interventions, and inform caregivers, particularly in underserved or remote regions (Akuu & Amagnya, 2023). The International Medical Corps (2020) managed to reduce malnutrition by 38 percent in Somalia with the help of the CMAM program. The implementation was done through collaboration between the community health volunteer, local leaders, and NGOs.
The program socially empowered caregivers, who are mostly women, by providing them with knowledge and independence in treating their children, building trust, and ownership of communities. Culturally, the program did not disrespect local hierarchies and beliefs as it involved elders and religious leaders to make people more accepting (Aguayo et al., 2024). Education modules included cultural beliefs and practices like perceptions of child health and traditional remedies to enable behavior change (Akuu & Amagnya, 2023). The centralized methods of treatment are not as cost-effective and economically viable as CMAM, which does not need logistic and training support (Aguayo et al., 2024). Another option of treatment at the hospital was unaffordable and logistically impossible for many families in the rural areas.
Governance vacuum and security threats at times curtailed the success of CMAM politically (Aguayo et al., 2024). There was political instability and conflict, which affected continuity in program delivery and retention of the workforce. On the environmental front, CMAM enabled children to receive treatment in the communities, without overloading clinics or putting pressure on the environment due to travel (Akuu & Amagnya, 2023). But access to complementary feeding and long-term nutrition was restricted by drought and food shortage.
Slide 07
Evaluation of the program showed that CMAM was very capable of promoting sustainable and community-based nutrition strategies. Nevertheless, the resilience of communities was not very strong because of the long-term crises and the absence of infrastructure (Akuu & Amagnya, 2023). There was a necessity for rapid response systems and surveillance that were often underdeveloped (Aguayo et al., 2024). The experiences of the CMAM program in Somalia hint at the necessity to make it a part of the educational process, food security, and maternal health services in order to create real resilience.
Slide 08
Culturally Sensitive Educational Resource
Community health workers and mobile outreach clinics will deliver the educational materials to the target population in Somali internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and rural conflict-affected communities in visual and oral form to low-literacy audiences.
Target Population
Children 6 to 59 months of age with or at risk of severe acute malnutrition, and caregivers of these children, especially mothers, in conflict-affected and remote areas of Somalia.
Setting
Community health posts, mobile nutrition clinics, IDP camps, and small village centers are organized by local NGOs, elders, and religious leaders.
Slide 09
Educational Resource
Slogan: “A Strong Child, A Hopeful Future – Nourish Today for a Better Tomorrow”
The educational tool raises awareness of child nutrition in the Somali caregivers through culturally adequate storytelling, visuals, and demonstrations. It will also include pictorial lessons on feeding habits, signs of malnutrition, and preparation of nutritious local food (UNICEF, 2023). The material is supported with audio messages in Somali, spread through the community radios and mobile phones. The resource will enable mothers and grandmothers to become nutrition champions and involve male heads of households in promoting caregiving practices (Kalid et al., 2021). The educational resource is culturally sensitive and considers local oral traditions and beliefs, focusing on local ingredients and the way the community raises children to be relevant and accepted (Kalid et al., 2021). The resource develops knowledge, self-efficacy, and trust in the contemporary and traditional care systems.
Slide 10
Implementation
Trained community health volunteers and mobile clinics, as well as local women’s groups, will distribute the educational resource. Among the social determinants that influence the issue are poverty, poor maternal education, gender norms, food insecurity, and poor access to health services. The poor individuals have their difficulties, such as illiteracy, cultural opposition to biomedical treatment, and conflict-related displacement. Cultural beliefs about child development, traditional foods used during weaning, and the influence of elders in the health decision-making process influence acceptance (Groce et al., 2024). Malnutrition is thought to be caused by spiritual or supernatural forces by some people. The learning tool will also include local phrases and will be approved by respected elders and religious authorities (Kalid et al., 2021). Thus, the learning materials are traditional but facilitate life-saving knowledge, incorporating biomedical and local knowledge.
Slide 11
Realistic Nature of Resource
The educational tool is realistic because it targets the use of the available community systems, non-high-tech devices, and the local languages to provide vital nutrition messages. In addition, it is possible to make the resources available to stakeholders through the local NGOs, health ministry liaisons, and religious councils that are already engaged in humanitarian response (Groce et al., 2024). In addition, low-cost, extensive dissemination is aided by the use of radio, mobile phones, and community gatherings (Kalid et al., 2021). Therefore, the materials offer an environmentally friendly, expandable, and culturally oriented approach to combat child malnutrition in conflict areas in Somalia.
Slide 12
Conclusion
Somali conflict zones are in a state of severe malnutrition. The results of vulnerable children can be enhanced through culturally suitable education and engagement with the community. The offered resource concerns social, economic, and cultural impediments to nutritional care. Sustainability becomes possible through the involvement of stakeholders as well as adaptation to local situations.
References
Aguayo, V. M., Badgaiyan, N., Qadir, S. S., Bugti, A. N., Alam, M. M., Nishtar, N., & Galvin, M. (2024). Community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme in the US effectively treats children with uncomplicated severe wasting. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 14(2), e12623. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12623
Akuu, J. A., & Amagnya, M. A. (2023). Community-based management of acute malnutrition: Implementation quality, and staff and user satisfaction with services. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 18(5), 988–996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2023.02.002
Groce, N., Challenger, E., Farkas, A., Yilmaz, N., Schultink, W., Clark, D., Kaplan, C., & Kerac, M. (2024). Malnutrition and disability: Unexplored opportunities for collaboration. Paediatrics and International Child Health, 34(4), 308–314. https://doi.org/10.1179/2046905514y.0000000156
NURS FPX 8024 Assessment 3 Leading Global Health Strategic Planning and Policy Development
International Medical Corps. (2020, July 2). Preventing acute malnutrition in Somalia’s IDP camps. IMC.org. https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/story/preventing-acute-malnutrition-in-somalias-idp-camps/
IPC (2024). Somalia: Acute malnutrition situation for October 2023 – February 2024 and projection for March – June 2024. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156836/
Kalid, M., Osman, F., Sulaiman, M., Dykes, F., & Erlandsson, K. (2021). Infant and young child nutritional status and their caregivers’ feeding knowledge and hygiene practices in internally displaced persons camps, Somalia. BioMed Central Nutrition, 5(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-019-0325-4
Schoonees, A., Lombard, M. J., Musekiwa, A., Nel, E., & Volmink, J. (2021). Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for home-based nutritional rehabilitation of severe acute malnutrition in children from six months to five years of age. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12(4), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd009000.pub3
UNICEF. (2022, February 16). Saving lives with RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food). Unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/supply/stories/saving-lives-rutf-ready-use-therapeutic-food
UNICEF. (2023). A better tomorrow today. Unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/thailand/better-tomorrow-today
UNICEF. (2024). Nearly two million severely malnourished children are at risk of death globally due to funding shortages for therapeutic food. Unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/press-releases/nearly-two-million-severely-malnourished-children-risk-death-globally-due-funding
NURS FPX 8024 Assessment 3 Leading Global Health Strategic Planning and Policy Development
UNICEF. (2025). RUTF and good hygiene practices maintain children’s health in Burao. Unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/somalia/stories/rutf-good-hygiene-burao
WHO. (2024). Somalia crisis. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/somalia-crisis
World Vision International. (2024). Community-based management of acute malnutrition. Wvi.org. https://www.wvi.org/nutrition/cmam
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