The Vitamins+minerals (ViM) project is a vital aspect of CenRID’s My Childhood My Future project (MCMF) project, which seeks to reduce infant and perinatal mortalities in Eastern Uganda. The ongoing project seeks to reduce the vitamins and minerals deficiencies among expectant mothers and children under the age of 5 in Irongo and Wankole Sub-Counties in Luuka & Kamuli Districts respectively.

We believe Continuing Education (CE) for healthcare professionals can make a difference in patient care and outcomes. Child malnutrition can be significantly reduced if health workers provide adequate, accurate, and frequent nutritional advice to caregivers and expectant mothers. Utilizing the Uganda-NACS-Reference-Manual, CenRID will conduct nutritional counselling training workshops focusing on infant feeding in the context of HIV, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), nutrition counseling for people with infectious diseases, counseling on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), etc.

CenRID hopes to contribute to better understanding- through community education targeting community, religious, and traditional leaders as agents of change- of food fortification and biofortification strategies to improve general micronutrient intake among children. We encourage mandatory fortification of commonly consumed staple foods. we hope these strategies will help improve food and nutrition security in our target communities.

CenRID is providing the essential Vitamin A supplement and prenatal vitamins to children under the age of 5 and expectant mothers respectively. Prior to the provision of these prenatal vitamins, these expectant mothers are educated about its benefits, and are strongly urged to take them regularly. Prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers are provided at the beginning of pregnancy to reduce the incidence of birth defect, including neural tube defects. Improvements in quality of drinking water through hygiene and sanitation behavior change training workshops have significant impacts on community health by reducing a variety of disease conditions. Workshops emphasize on safe disposal of human feces, increasing the quantity and availability of drinking water, and proper storage of drinking water.

Awareness campaign events through community outreach events focusing on workplace breastfeeding, child breastfeeding in the context of HIV, and disabled mothers breastfeeding. Information and Communication (IC) materials related to breastfeeding and complementary feeding being distributed at health facilities, community centers, food stores, etc. CenRID will ensure maternity protection by defending women’s right to work in an environment that facilitates breastfeeding