International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care, nutrition services to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance. International Medical Corps Program priorities include emergency response, health and nutrition capacity building, women’s and Children’s health wellbeing, mental health, and clean Water Sanitation and Hygiene.
Nutrition Programs in Kenya
International Medical Corps with funding from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and UNICEF is providing nutrition support to four counties of Kenya where severe draught and increasing instability due to ethnic conflicts has contributed to increased vulnerability and high levels of malnutrition among under-five year’s children and pregnant and lactating women. International Medical Corps in these counties provide capacities to the Health care providers to Scale up 11 High Impact Nutrition Interventions which include:-
- Prevention of Acute malnutrition
- Management of Acute Malnutrition (Severe and Management)
- Support and promote Exclusive Breast Feeding until the age of six months.
- Support and promote adequate Complementary Feeding from the age of six months.
- Twice yearly Vitamin A supplementation.
- Therapeutic Zinc supplementation of diarrhea management.
- Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation
- Iron-folate supplementation for pregnant women.
- Deworming for children.
- Improved hygiene practices, including hand washing.
- Salt iodization
To improve health-seeking behavior and nutrition education among local communities, International Medical Corps utilizes the innovative Mother Care Groups and Mother to Mother support group model where such over 800 groups in the project sites have been formed and training is ongoing. The Mother Care Group concept involves training a core group of local mothers on good nutrition practices, then sending them into the broader community to form and lead their own groups. The four counties supported include; Laikipia, Tana River, Samburu and Isiolo. International Medical Corps is also working with other partners to support development of capacity development framework for Kenya.
Through financial support from European Union, International Medical Corps also working together with World Vision and St Joseph Shelter of Hope and in close cooperation with County Government and Ministry of Health to improve maternal and Child health and family planning in Taita Taveta County. Specifically, International Medical Corps is supporting improved nutrition practices among pregnant and lactating women and caretakers of children below five years through educating them on appropriate practices and by use of PD hearth approach, supporting households to access nutritious food through provision of small stocks and supporting caretakers to practice kitchen gardening, promotion of appropriate hygiene practices including hand washing and capacity building health facility staffs on HINI.
Our Contact Details:
International Medical Corps
Villa Gracia – Terrase Close off Rhapta Road, Westlands
P.O Box 67513-00200, Nairobi, Kenya