UGANDA INTEGRATED NUTRITION 

INFORMATION SYSTEM 

UINIS 

January 2011

Presentation Overview

• Nutrition in Uganda Overview• Benefits of an integrated M&E system• Potential Challenges• Definitions and objectives• Conceptual framework• Action Plan• Examples of key process and impact indicators• Next Steps

     Nutrition Overview

Malnutrition: Children under 5 years• Stunting: 38% • Wasting: 6%• Underweight: 16%

DHS 2006

    Nutrition Overview

Micronutrient Malnutrition: Children 6-59 months• Anemia: 73% • Vitamin A Deficiency: 20%

Non Pregnant Women 15-49 years • Anemia: 49% • Vitamin A Deficiency: 19%

Pregnant Women• Anemia: 64%

DHS 2006

     Nutrition Overview

Breast feeding Practices: Children 0-5 months• Timely Initiation of Breast Feeding:

42% • Exclusive Breast Feeding Rate up to 6 months: 35%

Complementary Feeding Practices: Children 6-8 months• Receiving complementary foods: 77%

DHS 2006

Supplementation Coverage

Supplementation: Children 6-59 months• Vitamin A capsules: 36% • Exclusive Breast Feeding Rate up to 6 months: 35%

Non Women 15-49 years • Vitamin A Post-partum:

33%

Pregnant Women• Iron & Folic Acid tablets (90+): less than 1%

DHS 2006

Fortification Coverage

Salt: • Household use of adequately iodized salt: 96%

Oil• Availability of adequately vitamin A fortified oil in the

market: 85%

DHS 2006

Justification for an integrated system

• Complement the existing MoH System (HMIS, NISS)• Strengthen the coordination and harmonization of M&E

efforts by different stakeholders• Reduce the overall cost and burden of impact monitoring• Collect and integrate process and biological impact data• Strengthen the utilization and dissemination of information

generated by the integrated system to improve policies and decision making

• Provide accurate data on a frequent basis so that programs and policies can be fine tuned more effectively

• Enable programs to improve the nutrition policy by the decision makers

• Ensure programs to improve the nutrition interventions • Timing is ideal due to HMIS system restructure

   Monitoring and evaluation challenges

• Inaccurate data• Obsolete or untimely data collection• Inadequate analytical skills• No mechanism to enforce or motivate submission of data• Limited supervision• Commitment reduced due other opportunities• Lack of coordination of diverse surveys, studies, and

other sources of data• No centralized inventory of the available data/reports

Definition of an Integrated M&E Nutrition System

An integrated M&E nutrition system consists of a periodical data gathering system of both process and impact indicators defined by the Ministry of Health

Goal of the Integrated M&E Nutrition System

To improve the health and nutritional status of Ugandans through optimized national nutrition policy and program decision making process

Objective 1

To strengthen national capacity to provide reliable, timely and accurate integrated nutrition

information

Main results under objective 11.Nutrition data needs and gaps will be well defined2.New mechanisms will be operational and will collect

and analyze core nutrition indicators not currently collected

3.New mechanisms for collecting core nutrition indicators will be piloted and scaled up nationally

Objective 2

To increase access and use of appropriate nutrition information in health policy and

planning

Main results under objective 21.An adequate mechanism for effective institutional

coordination and management will be operational2.Nutrition information will be used in national

nutrition policy planning3.Timely access and use of nutrition data will be

increased

Target Audience

• The primary users for the information generated by UINIS are policy makers and decision makers in the various levels of the government, development partners and NGOs.

• The information may be used by other interested parties like researchers, private sector, etc.

Proposed nutrition monitoring and evaluation conceptual framework 

Proposed Uganda integrated nutrition information surveillance system

Uganda Integrated Nutrition Information System (UINIS)

DNational and small scale

surveys

Facility and community

Program dataHMIS data

Additional mechanism

DATA SOURCES

Micronutrients IYCF IMAM Maternal nutrition

Dietary diversification

Nutrition and HIV

Food Security

NUTRITION PROGRAMS

Advocacy, Policy , planning, decision making  

Improved health and nutrition status for Ugandans

TIMELINE

• Phase 1:  Setting up coordination structure for UINIS

• Phase Two:  Tools development, methodology and trainings 

• Phase Three: Operationalization and roll-out 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Sustainability• Participation and ownership• Use of existing resources and 

improvement/enrichment• Use of recognized international indicators, 

and country comparable indicators

• Good understanding of the decision making process and constraints (Who, How, What, When)

• Comprehensive and participatory analysis of the integrated M&E nutrition system (Design, scope, relevance and sustainability)

• Adequate resources  (Human, Financial) 

• Operationalization of the nutrition information system

Challenges

• Led by the Nutrition Division of the MOH • The main role of the TWG

– oversee – coordinate – guide implementation of the UINIS

UINIS TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG) 

• Government (MOH, UBOS, MAAIF, etc.)• UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP, FAO, WHO)• Academia & Research institutions (Makerere University - DFST, KYU etc.)• Civil society organization (UGAN)• National & International NGOs (A2Z, FANTA, ACF)• Donors (USAID, CDC, GAIN)

Members and Organization of the TWG

• Review and finalization of the NIS Concept• Needs assessment on nutritional data currently

collected • Quality control of data• Coordination of information collection & dissemination • Standardization and harmonization of tools and

methodologies• Capacity Building

Functions and composition of Core Team

• Composition of team• 2 - Ministry of Health• 1 - A2Z Micronutrient Project• 1 - UNICEF• 1 - ACF• 1 – MAAIF

Composition of Core Team