Promoting optimal infant feeding practices and effective use of complementary foods for infants: delivery lessons


This paper forms the second part of a series of three papers exploring the enabling environment, business models, and behaviour change components of GAIN’s Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) portfolio.

This paper examines lessons learned on how to drive consumer awareness, and to ensure uptake and compliant use (both in frequency and quantity) of product solutions (complementary food) in the context of the Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) programs. It describes the challenges encountered, the adaptations or innovations tested in terms of design and implementation, and the lessons learned over the course of this process. The analysis is based on the evidence and learning generated from projects in 10 countries, in which products were either distributed for free through public delivery channels, or products were sold, partly subsidized or not, using multiple channels such as retail shops, direct commercial sales force, and health system or community volunteer networks.