Addressing stunting in Afghanistan remains a significant challenge. The Aga Khan Development Network has implemented essential strategic measures through the Central Asia Stunting Initiative (CASI) to combat the prevalent issue of stunting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan's remote and underserved communities.
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme identified 136 remote and marginalized villages in Chitral, Ghizer, and Hunza valleys in Pakistan, which have reported high levels of stunting, poverty scores, and food insecurity. CASI has specifically targeted these villages as part of its program.
In partnership with the Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan, and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Pakistan, dHRC developed the CASI mobile application for Lady Health Visitors (LHVs), operating in select regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The app assists LHVs in evaluating the nutrition status of pregnant women, mothers, and children during community visits and offering appropriate nutrition supplements to address any nutritional deficiencies.
The digital assessment forms used in the application enable LHVs to track and monitor patients digitally in the community, replacing the traditional paper-based process that is often inconvenient and relies on registers.
During 2021, the CASI application was developed with stakeholder input and piloted in select areas of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan. Health worker training was provided, and the application was implemented on a larger scale across Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan. In 2022, there were significant optimizations made to the CASI app to improve user experience, with a particular focus on streamlining the reporting process through multiple updates.
Initiated in 2020, the Central Asia Stunting Initiative (CASI) is a three-year project that receives funding from the Leaders International Forum (LIF) and the Aga Khan Foundation.