Côte d’Ivoire

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HKI been working in Côte d’Ivoire since 2000 beginning with its work to control onchocerciasis. Since then, HKI has expanded its programs to address malnutrition. Current programs include:

• Vitamin A Supplementation >>more
• Food Fortification >>more
• Nutrition programs for people living with HIV/AIDS >>more
• Onchocerciasis control >>more

Program Descriptions:

Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS): In Côte d’Ivoire more than 30% of children under five years of age are vitamin A deficient. HKI supports integrating vitamin A supplementation (VAS) into National Immunization Days (NIDs) that also include postpartum women to avert vitamin A deficiency. HKI provides technical assistance to the National Nutrition Program (NNP) and strengthens the capacity of health workers. From 2006 to August 2007, the NNP and HKI organized the training of 14 district directors, 255 health workers and 255 community health workers about the use of VAS.

In 2006, over 4,644,000 children under-five (approximately 92% of the children in Côte d’Ivoire) received vitamin A capsules. HKI explores alternative supplementation methods and is implementing trial programs to integrate VAS into HKI's onchocerciasis control program through its Community Directed Treatment of Ivermectin which uses community structures already in place. Community-level vitamin A supplementation campaigns implemented by local NGOs and community health agents are also being considered. 

Food Fortification: HKI is a member of the National Food Fortification Alliance which is responsible for developing a national food fortification program. With support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), HKI is leading efforts to increase and diversify food fortification in Côte d’Ivoire in order to address micronutrient deficiencies. Currently, 60% of the cooking oil in Côte d’Ivoire is fortified with vitamin A; HKI's goal is to ensure 100% of refined palm oil is fortified.

HKI ensures quality control including creating a legal framework and reinforcing control capacities, training, monitoring and evaluation, as well as implementing social marketing to promote the consumption of these fortified products to the communities. HKI is expanding its program to include fortifying wheat flour with iron and folic acid to avert anemia and other related deficiency diseases. The project aims to increase iron consumption of fortified wheat flour from 0% to 80% in the upcoming years. To read about fortification deveopments in Côte d'Ivoire read an issue of Le Bulletin de la Fortication.

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Nutrition programs for people living with HIV/AIDS: Malnutrition poses a grave threat to infants infected by HIV/AIDS; it exacerbates the effects of the disease, which weakens the immune system, rendering infected persons more vulnerable to other infections. Today, most prevention, care and support interventions focus primarily on adults and are insufficient to slow the progression of the disease and reduce its impact on the morbidity and mortality of children. High-quality nutritional care and treatment is a critical component for comprehensive care for children infected by HIV/AIDS. This project responds to a gap between care for mothers infected with HIV and infants infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

The project aims to improve the nutritional status of infants born to HIV-positive mothers and of HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women (with infants younger than 6 months) attending Prevention Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT) sessions as well as members of their families. The PMCTs are provided in 8 health centers and counsel HIV-positive women during their pregnancy, including providing information about anti-retro viral medications, to help reduce the transmission of HIV to the child. The PMCTs provide advice and education to mothers on the best food options to choose to improve the mothers' and the children's well being. The project also helps reduce stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

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Onchocerciasis: HKI has supported the control of onchocerciasis interventions in 45 health districts in Côte d’Ivoire since 2000. The program’s objective is to implement WHO recommendations to achieve 100% geographic coverage and 65% therapeutic coverage. Through CDTI, HKI reinforces the capacities of community actors to prevent and treat the disease within their own community by distributing ivermectin. Since the program utilizes community structures already in place, the program has a high rate of compliance and success. Since 2000, HKI has provided 5,000 registers, 5,000 height gauges, 2,500 training manuals and 10,000 folders for communication and treatment to the National Onchocerciasis Program. Due to political turmoil, the program was temporarily interrupted from 2002 to 2004.

Program Partners

• CIDA
• Food Industries
• GAIN
• Expanded Immunization Program
• Ministry of Health
• National Institute for Public Health
• National Nutrition Program
• National Program for Fight against Blindness
• Nippon Foundation
• UNICEF
• WHO

Key Staff

• Dr Marie Adjoba Tanoh-Brou - Country Director
• Denise Benieh N’Dabian -  Nutrition Programs Officer
• Patrice Emery Bosso- Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
• Kouadio Ouanda - Finance Officer
• Fatou Ouattara- Food Fortification Project Coordinator
• David N'dri- Communication Consultant