Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract Systematic crises may disrupt well‐designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal ca...

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Main Authors: Jessica Escobar‐DeMarco, Phuong Nguyen, Gourob Kundu, Rowshan Kabir, Mohsin Ali, Santhia Ireen, Deborah Ash, Zeba Mahmud, Celeste Sununtnasuk, Purnima Menon, Edward A. Frongillo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Maternal and Child Nutrition
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13750
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author Jessica Escobar‐DeMarco
Phuong Nguyen
Gourob Kundu
Rowshan Kabir
Mohsin Ali
Santhia Ireen
Deborah Ash
Zeba Mahmud
Celeste Sununtnasuk
Purnima Menon
Edward A. Frongillo
author_facet Jessica Escobar‐DeMarco
Phuong Nguyen
Gourob Kundu
Rowshan Kabir
Mohsin Ali
Santhia Ireen
Deborah Ash
Zeba Mahmud
Celeste Sununtnasuk
Purnima Menon
Edward A. Frongillo
author_sort Jessica Escobar‐DeMarco
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Systematic crises may disrupt well‐designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal care services in Dhaka, which started at the onset of COVID‐19 and encountered extraordinary disruption of services. We investigated the disruptions and adaptations that occurred to continue the delivery of services for women and children and elucidated how the intervention team made those adaptations. We examined the intervention components planned and those implemented annotating the disruptions and adaptations. Subsequently, we detailed the intervention paths (capacity building, supportive supervision, demand generation, counselling services, and reporting, data management and performance review). We sorted out processes at the system, organizational, service delivery and individual levels on how the intervention team made the adaptations. Disruptions included decreased client load and demand for services, attrition of providers and intervention staff, key intervention activities becoming unfeasible and clients and providers facing challenges affecting utilization and provision of services. Adaptations included incorporating new guidance for the continuity of services, managing workforce turnover and incorporating remote modalities for all intervention components. The intervention adapted to continue by incorporating hybrid modalities including both original activities that were feasible and adapted activities. Amidst health system crises, the adapted intervention was successfully delivered. This knowledge of how to identify disruptions and adapt interventions during major crises is critical as Bangladesh and other countries face new threats (conflict, climate, economic downturns, inequities and epidemics).
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spelling doaj-art-9f27f4b8f83d4d119f22b2835d12aa232025-08-20T02:49:23ZengWileyMaternal and Child Nutrition1740-86951740-87092025-01-01211n/an/a10.1111/mcn.13750Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, BangladeshJessica Escobar‐DeMarco0Phuong Nguyen1Gourob Kundu2Rowshan Kabir3Mohsin Ali4Santhia Ireen5Deborah Ash6Zeba Mahmud7Celeste Sununtnasuk8Purnima Menon9Edward A. Frongillo10Department of Epidemiology and Community Health University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte North Carolina USAPoverty, Health and Nutrition Division International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washington, DC USAAlive & Thrive Dhaka BangladeshAlive & Thrive Dhaka BangladeshAlive & Thrive Dhaka BangladeshAlive & Thrive Dhaka BangladeshFHI 360 Global Nutrition Washington, DC USAAlive & Thrive Dhaka BangladeshPoverty, Health and Nutrition Division International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washington, DC USAPoverty, Health and Nutrition Division International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Washington, DC USADepartment of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USAAbstract Systematic crises may disrupt well‐designed nutrition interventions. Continuing services requires understanding the intervention paths that have been disrupted and adapting as crises permit. Alive & Thrive developed an intervention to integrate nutrition services into urban antenatal care services in Dhaka, which started at the onset of COVID‐19 and encountered extraordinary disruption of services. We investigated the disruptions and adaptations that occurred to continue the delivery of services for women and children and elucidated how the intervention team made those adaptations. We examined the intervention components planned and those implemented annotating the disruptions and adaptations. Subsequently, we detailed the intervention paths (capacity building, supportive supervision, demand generation, counselling services, and reporting, data management and performance review). We sorted out processes at the system, organizational, service delivery and individual levels on how the intervention team made the adaptations. Disruptions included decreased client load and demand for services, attrition of providers and intervention staff, key intervention activities becoming unfeasible and clients and providers facing challenges affecting utilization and provision of services. Adaptations included incorporating new guidance for the continuity of services, managing workforce turnover and incorporating remote modalities for all intervention components. The intervention adapted to continue by incorporating hybrid modalities including both original activities that were feasible and adapted activities. Amidst health system crises, the adapted intervention was successfully delivered. This knowledge of how to identify disruptions and adapt interventions during major crises is critical as Bangladesh and other countries face new threats (conflict, climate, economic downturns, inequities and epidemics).https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13750global health implementation researchinfant and young child nutritionintervention disruptions and adaptationsmaternalurban antenatal care services
spellingShingle Jessica Escobar‐DeMarco
Phuong Nguyen
Gourob Kundu
Rowshan Kabir
Mohsin Ali
Santhia Ireen
Deborah Ash
Zeba Mahmud
Celeste Sununtnasuk
Purnima Menon
Edward A. Frongillo
Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Maternal and Child Nutrition
global health implementation research
infant and young child nutrition
intervention disruptions and adaptations
maternal
urban antenatal care services
title Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
title_full Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
title_fullStr Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
title_full_unstemmed Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
title_short Disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
title_sort disruptions and adaptations of an urban nutrition intervention delivering essential services for women and children during a major health system crisis in dhaka bangladesh
topic global health implementation research
infant and young child nutrition
intervention disruptions and adaptations
maternal
urban antenatal care services
url https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13750
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