title: Capacity building in the health sector to improve care for child nutrition and development.
abstract: The effectiveness of interventions promoting healthy child growth and development depends upon the capacity of the health system to deliver a high-quality intervention. However, few health workers are trained in providing integrated early child-development services. Building capacity entails not only training the frontline worker, but also mobilizing knowledge and support to promote early child development across the health system. In this paper, we present the paradigm shift required to build effective partnerships between health workers and families in order to support children's health, growth, and development, the practical skills frontline health workers require to promote optimal caregiving, and the need for knowledge mobilization across multiple institutional levels to support frontline health workers. We present case studies illustrating challenges and success stories around capacity development. There is a need to galvanize increased commitment and resources to building capacity in health systems to deliver early child-development services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aisha K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Yousafzai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muneera A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Daelmans
authors.affiliation: Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.affiliation: Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lingam
authors.affiliation: Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muskin
authors.affiliation: Consultant in International Health and Child Development, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D057191:Capacity Building; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D004505:Education, Nonprofessional; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: capacity development; empowerment; health workers; knowledge mobilization; quality