Using Text-Messaging to Monitor Children’s Nutrition in Malawi

Malnutrition remains a major challenge in Malawi, where it contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates among under-five children and other vulnerable groups such as pregnant and lactating mothers.  This chronic problem is compounded by persistent food shortages and high incidence of diseases including HIV and AIDS.  One of several initiatives under way to address malnutrition in Malawi is an Integrated Nutritional and Food Security Surveillance system supported by the government, UNICEF, the European Union and NGOs. The objective of the workshop was to investigate whether new media or technology might improve data collection.