Nutrition, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Assessment among Urban Poor Children and Adolescents: A Community Case study of Katwe II slum in Kampala, Uganda

Although the consequences of urbanization on diverse socio-economic groups are well documented, how to address the health and development needs of the most vulnerable children is poorly understood. To gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to poor nutrition of children among the urban poor and identify the best approaches to addressing these problems, a community case study was conducted in the Katwe II slum in Kampala, Uganda.

This qualitative case study triangulated data from a mapping exercise of community stakeholders, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and community workshops. Mapping of community stakeholders was done to capture key actors in nutritional service delivery. FGDs were conducted with primary caregivers of children under-five including adolescent mothers. KIIs were done with already known stakeholders: Midwives involved in Maternal New-born and Child Health (MNCH) services, Day care workers and Local Council Representatives. Community workshops were done with Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA), religious, cultural and local council leaders, to identify policies and strategies that shape nutrition and the formal/informal systems and services related to child nutrition in Katwe II.

There is an urgent need to design interventions to address child nutrition vulnerabilities. However, for such interventions to have the required impact, they must be tailored in such a way that they involve the community in both design and implementation, and provide employment opportunities to community members and be people-centered among others.