Healthy Generations for Colombia

Objectives

To implement a life course approach by integrating NCD prevention and care in maternal and child health services by creating healthy school environments.

Approach

This project builds on three successfully completed projects: WDF10-572 and WDF15-955 implemented in Barranquilla and WDF18-1617 implemented in six departments as the first stage of a national Hyperglycaemia in Pregnancy (HIP) programme.

It expands existing HIP protocols developed based on WHO guidance with previous WDF support to include all metabolic disorders in pregnancy (e.g. hypertension, eclampsia, obesity), covering both antenatal and post-partum care. It will also focus on the clinical management of childhood malnutrition, hereby creating explicit linkages between mothers’ health and that of their offspring. Ten departments, of which six are new, representing 28 million Colombians (53% of the population), will be covered.

Advocacy and engagement with national, departmental and municipal authorities will be enhanced alongside strengthened data collection, cost-effectiveness analysis, and the role of community health workers (CHWs) will be reinforced as they are the main entry point to the healthcare system. The project also includes a school component hereby leveraging multisector partnerships to promote healthy nutrition and lifestyle.

Project activities include:
• Develop a national protocol for the detection and management of metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition.
• Strengthen primary health facilities and referral centres through healthcare professional training and mentorship, protocol implementation, and provision of basic equipment.
• Improve data collection at health facility and departmental health secretariat levels by training healthcare professionals in existing health information systems across 200 health facilities to provide adequate information on metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition.
• Integrate healthy childhood strategies into the Institutional Educational Projects (PEI) of targeted schools by developing a national protocol for healthy living and prevention of malnutrition, and strengthen linkages between education and health sectors at local and departmental levels.
• Conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of early detection and management of metabolic disorders in pregnancy and evaluate the impact of lifestyle interventions in 100 primary schools.
• Advocate for a reorientation of maternal and child healthcare services towards greater health promotion and prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Expected results

• 2 national protocols developed and nationally endorsed: one for detection and management of metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition, and one school intervention protocol focusing on healthy living and prevention of malnutrition.
• 200 health facilities strengthened in detection and management of metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition (180 primary-level, 20 secondary-level).
• 1,600 healthcare professionals trained in the protocol for metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition (800 doctors, 500 nurses, 300 other healthcare professionals including nutritionists, psychologists, obstetricians, etc.).
• 3,000 community health workers trained in prevention and care of non-communicable diseases, including links to pregnancy and childhood malnutrition.
• 400 healthcare professionals and administrators trained to better utilise existing health information systems.
• 96,000 pregnant women screened for metabolic disorders in pregnancy, with an estimated 8,000 diagnosed and treated.
• 100 schools capacitated to implement the approved protocol on healthy living and prevention of malnutrition and equipped with sports and recreational kits.
• 1,000 teachers, administrators, and kiosk owners trained in health literacy.
• 30,000 children benefit from healthier school environments; 30,000 parents trained to promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition.
• 2 national/regional conferences organised to disseminate results on metabolic disorders in pregnancy and childhood malnutrition.
• 150,000 pregnant women and women of reproductive age sensitised through a whole-of-family approach.
• 6 national campaigns conducted on World Diabetes Day, World Hypertension Day, and World Nutrition Day.