Health Sector & CSO Partnership
Cyclone Ditwah Recovery (Phase II)
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Conducted with: RDHS & SUN PF
1. Addressing the Critical Barrier to Life-Saving SAM Care
Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) represents the most critical and life-threatening form of childhood undernutrition, demanding timely medical assessment by specialized Consultant Pediatricians and supervised management with therapeutic nutrition. Following Cyclone Ditwah, economic disruption and transportation breakdowns in remote, mountainous areas of Badulla and agrarian communities in Monaragala severely hampered caregivers’ ability to attend hospital clinics.
In response, UNICEF and Scaling Up Nutrition People’s Forum (SUN PF) forged an emergency operational model in partnership with the Regional Directors of Health Services (RDHS), Medical Officers of Health (MOH), and Public Health Midwives (PHMs). By removing the transportation barrier through direct Travel Allowances and community outreach clinics, the initiative ensured that vulnerable children received uninterrupted specialized clinical follow-up.
Strategic Core Operations
- Individualized Caregiver Travel Grants: Financial allowances provided to vulnerable mothers to cover public and hired transit to base and general hospitals.
- Mobile Outreach Pediatric Clinics: 4 specialized outreach clinics conducted directly in underserved divisional areas.
- Public Health Midwife (PHM) Household Visits: 327 home visits completed to conduct nutrition counselling and verify clinic attendance.
- Comprehensive Food Basket Delivery: Delivering 359 targeted food baskets to sustain nutritional recovery at home.
2. Clinical Attendance Transformation (June 2026)
The direct support translated into immediate, dramatic improvements in hospital clinic compliance across both districts:
+20% Surge
95%
End of June
+9% Growth
82%
End of June
Badulla District Hospital & Outreach Clinic Allocations
3. 24-Hour Dietary Recall & Nutrition Food Basket Delivery
Prior to food package design, a rigorous 24-hour dietary recall survey was conducted across both districts to pinpoint the exact nutrient deficits in children’s home diets. To bridge these deficits and prevent relapse, 359 complete food baskets (229 in Badulla and 130 in Monaragala) were procured and delivered directly to the families of enrolled children.
4. Health Sector Collaboration & Community Oversight
The programme established a strong bridge between civil society networks and the state healthcare delivery system:
- Monthly RDHS Progress Updates: The SUN District Coordinators submitted official progress reports directly to the Regional Directors of Health Services in Badulla and Monaragala.
- Community Volunteer Engagement: Two dedicated community volunteers from every single MOH division actively participated in the monthly health coordination meetings.
- Coordinated Follow-up: Involving field PHMs in home visits to monitor weight gain, track therapeutic feeding compliance, and counsel against drop-outs.
5. Strategic Way Forward Roadmap
- Facilitate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd clinic reviews for newly identified cases.
- Conduct intensive PHM household follow-ups to prevent treatment defaults.
- Activate Mother Support Groups to champion exclusive breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding.
- Assign dedicated SUN CSOs across every single MOH / Divisional Secretariat division.
- Conduct community Problem Tree Analyses to eliminate systemic malnutrition triggers.
- Integrate vulnerable households into ‘Praja Shakthi’ Community Development Committees (CDCs) for long-term economic resilience.
SUN PF extends its sincere gratitude to UNICEF, the Ministry of Health, RDHS Badulla & Monaragala, Consultant Pediatricians, MOHs, and Public Health Midwives for their tireless commitment to ensuring every child realizes their right to health and nutrition.
