Adapting iCCM to Enable Family Health Workers to Treat Acute Malnutrition in Somaliland

Treatment of acute malnutrition, or wasting, by family health workers (otherwise knows as community health workers) has been considered as a way to bring treatment closer to families, reduce barriers for accessing services and reach more children with timely treatment.

In Somaliland, Save the Children and its partners have been testing how this approach could be incorporated into existing community health structures.

This report describes the findings from the 2022-23 Integrated Community Case Management Plus Nutrition (iCCM+) service prototype conducted by Save the Children and Design Health, with the close support and collaboration of the Somaliland Ministry of Health and Development, in the Gabiley district of Somaliland.

This service prototype is the first stage of a larger research project exploring treatment by family health workers in Somaliland. It offers operational insights and early indications of how this approach may benefit communities.