Suaahara II: CommCare for Community-Based Maternal & Child Health

Suaahara II (SII) is a seven-year USAID-funded program using a household-based approach to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women and children under two years of age. Building on the learnings from Suaahara I (SI), Suaahara partners have implemented a combination of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions throughout 42 of Nepal’s 77 districts.

The program’s goals are wide-ranging, include to improve the quality and use of maternal and child health and nutrition services; increase ideal household practices related to health, family planning, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene; ensure community access to and consumption of nutritious foods in areas with very poor nutrition indicators; and improve nutrition governance.

All SII interventions are based on social and behavior change communication (SBCC) with a focus on gender equity and social inclusion. Digital platforms for data collection, follow-up, and service delivery also support monitoring, evaluation, and research for learning (MERL) practices and continuous program improvement.