The IKEA Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) announce a new four-year grant, which commenced in January 2016, aimed at improving nutritional outcomes and child health in Madhya Pradesh, India.
“The IKEA Foundation believes that every child has the right to a healthy start in life, so we are donating €9.7 million to CHAI over four years to make sure young children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women in India receive the nourishment they need to grow and flourish,” said Jonathan Spampinato, Head of Strategic Planning and Communications at IKEA Foundation.
CHAI is collaborating with the Government of Madhya Pradesh to improve nutrition for 1.2 million underweight children, 6.7 million adolescent girls, and 2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women. Interventions will primarily focus on four key areas: reducing the burden of anemia for adolescent girls and pregnant women; improving the quality of and access to complementary foods; enhancing the capacity of frontline workers for promotion of Integrated Child Development Services practices, including breastfeeding, regular growth monitoring, and identification of severe acute malnutrition; and improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.
Working closely with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, CHAI and the IKEA Foundation aim to save 35,000 lives and reduce anemia among adolescent girls and women by 10 percent.
