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TSFP assistant, Santosh Kumar, checks a patient for malnutirtion at the CMAM Site BHU, Samaro Road, Union Council Samaro Road, Taluka, Umerkot Pakistan Photo: Khaula Jamil/Concern WorldwideTSFP assistant, Santosh Kumar, checks a patient for malnutirtion at the CMAM Site BHU, Samaro Road, Union Council Samaro Road, Taluka, Umerkot Pakistan Photo: Khaula Jamil/Concern WorldwideTSFP assistant, Santosh Kumar, checks a patient for malnutirtion at the CMAM Site BHU, Samaro Road, Union Council Samaro Road, Taluka, Umerkot Pakistan Photo: Khaula Jamil/Concern Worldwide

Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition

Why health and nutrition? Our goal of ending extreme poverty can only be achieved by tackling poverty’s root causes – and top among them are poor public health and nutritional deficiencies.

For most of our more than 50 years in operation, we have been leading the way with sector-defining programmes that are changing people’s lives for the better. We work towards the survival and wellbeing of the world's most vulnerable communities, while ensuring they obtain the knowledge and resources to keep themselves and their families healthy and nourished.

Breda Gahan
"Concern is aware of the need to balance curative and preventative approaches to health. We are focusing on improving health through Primary Health Care in emergency, fragile and development contexts."
Breda Gahan - Global Health & HIV Programme Adviser, Concern Worldwide
Women from the Afani Yara Women's Group work on the production of baby flour.
Women from the Afani Yara Women's Group work on the production of baby flour.
Nutrition Assistant, Roopchand, checks 15 month old girl in Pakistan
Nutrition Assistant, Roopchand, checks 15 month old girl in Pakistan
Community training on how to collect data held by Concern
Community training on how to collect data held by Concern
Moussa Zouéra, a Nigerien Chief Nursing Officer is supported by Concern.
Moussa Zouéra, a Nigerien Chief Nursing Officer is supported by Concern.
Christian Olodo, Concern Area Coordinator (right) visits a new Health Centre in Chad
Christian Olodo, Concern Area Coordinator (right) visits a new Health Centre in Chad
Concern staff visit newly constructed latrines in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Concern staff visit newly constructed latrines in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Concern distributed hygiene kits to residents in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Concern distributed hygiene kits to residents in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Concern hold a talk about awareness of complementary foods and malnutrition in Chad.
Concern hold a talk about awareness of complementary foods and malnutrition in Chad.

A closer look at health and nutrition programmes

Here are just some of the ways our health and nutrition programming is helping to change lives around the world.

CMAM

For almost 20 years, our Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach to tackling acute malnutrition has been extremely effective, so much so that it has become the preferred approach for tackling malnutrition internationally.

The central principle of CMAM is to treat malnourished children in their homes. As a result, it reaches more children and reduces the risks and expenses in travel for carers, malnourished children and their siblings.

Children who have been admitted to our programme are provided with weekly medical treatment and given one week's supply of therapeutic food. This micronutrient-enriched food is the key to success.

Now, the CMAM Surge approach is based on the observation that in many contexts, the number of children seeking treatment for acute malnutrition peaks during certain months of the year.

These seasonal ‘surges’ in demand are driven by many overlapping factors, including, for example, the pre-harvest hunger gap, increased incidence of malaria or diarrhoea during the rainy season, women’s workload patterns and movements associated with grazing livestock.

Maternal and newborn health

WASH

HIV treatment and prevention

Apoline Niyosenge is taught how to wash her hands properly by Concern community worker Abel Bamwisho, DRC. Photo: Pamela Tulizo

Help those in need across the world

  • Our mission is to permanently transform the lives of people living in extreme poverty.

  • When an emergency strikes we are among the first on the ground.

  • We go to the ends of earth to deliver aid where it's needed most.

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