With support from the Government of Ireland, Alive & Thrive is working to tackle malnutrition and reach global nutrition targets in the Mekong Sub-Region with a priority on the furthest behind in each context.

Breastfeeding in Lao PDR is widely socially accepted and strongly supported by government policy. While most infants are breastfed, the practice is often sub-optimal: slow initiation, pre-lacteal feeding, and mixed feeding are common.

Nigeria has recently made progress toward strengthening policies and programs in support of maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN). However, progress has been limited to specific states—and creating strong plans for implementation of new policies remains a challenge.

This series of country briefs report on key maternal and child nutrition indicators, progress towards reaching the World Health Assembly global nutrition targets, and current implementation of recommended policies and plans.

Highlights the importance of Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) as a simple and effective intervention to prevent newborn mortality and promote well-being, and provides an overview of processes to streamline EENC in health facilities and recommendations for health facilities implementi

The overall nutritional status of children in Nigeria has slightly improved over the last decade; nevertheless, the country still has among the world’s highest child mortality rates and some of the lowest rates of recommended IYCF practices.