SQUEAC report Gardez , Ahmadaba and Chamkani Districts, Paktya Province. (ACTD/HN-TPO)

Health Net TPO and ACTD (Afghanistan Centre for Training and Development), with support from ACF Afghanistan, conducted a SQUEAC training and assessment in Gardez, Ahmadaba and Chamkani Districts of Paktya Province, Afghanistan in the month of March 2015. The objectives were twofold; build the capacity of programme staff in the coverage methodology and provide reliable coverage information for the SAM treatment services. The assessment would provide a coverage estimation for SAM treatment services, as well as information on barriers and boosters to access, and ultimately develop recommendations to improve coverage. The assessment estimated a point coverage of 53.3% [CI 95%: 42.5% – 64.4%] for the districts of Gardez and Ahmadaba.

The assessment identified a number of important barriers to access including: poor information about SAM treatment given to the mothers by the health facility staff, poor or no screening by the CHWs, gaps in contracts between nutrition implementers and donors causing gaps in funding, weak communication between OTP site and the CHWs, lack of motivation for the CHWs, stock outs of RUTF, carers going to private doctors who do not refer to the OTP service, alternative health seeking behaviour, the absence of mahram to escort mother to OTP services and long distance to OTP sites.