Promoting responsive care and early learning practices in Northern Ghana: results from a counselling intervention within nutrition and health services.

Objective: This study assesses change in caregiver practices after integrating responsive care and early learning (RCEL) in nutrition and health services and community platforms in northern Ghana.

Design: We trained health facility workers and community health volunteers to deliver RCEL counselling to caregivers of children under 2 years of age through existing health facilities and community groups. We assessed changes in caregivers' RCEL practices before and after the intervention with a household questionnaire and caregiver-child observations.

Learning from health system actor and caregiver experiences in Ghana and Nepal to strengthen growth monitoring and promotion.

Background: Globally, growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) of infants and young children is a fundamental component of routine preventive child health care; however, programs have experienced varying degrees of quality and success with enduring challenges. The objective of this study was to describe implementation of GMP (growth monitoring, growth promotion, data use, and implementation challenges) in two countries, Ghana and Nepal, to identify key actions to strengthen GMP programs.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured key informant interviews with national and sub-national government officials (n = 24), health workers and volunteers (n = 40), and caregivers (n = 34).