Researchers looked at nutrition programs for pregnant women and young children across six African countries to see who was getting help and who was being left behind. They found that pregnant women were getting more nutrition advice than babies and young children, and that where you live, how much money your family has, and your mother’s education made a big difference in whether families received nutrition support. This study helps governments understand where nutrition programs are working well and where they need to do better.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How many pregnant women and young children in six African countries were receiving nutrition counseling and support, and whether some groups of people were getting more help than others.
  • Who participated: Households from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania who answered questions about nutrition care they received between 2021 and 2024.
  • Key finding: Pregnant women received nutrition advice much more often than young children did. For example, in Ghana, 88% of pregnant women got advice about breastfeeding, but only 50% of families with young children got advice about feeding practices. In Mozambique, these numbers were even lower at 48% and 12%.
  • What it means for you: If you live in these countries, your chances of getting nutrition help depend a lot on where you live, your family’s income, and your mother’s education level. Governments need to focus on reaching families with young children and those in poorer areas who are getting less help.

The Research Details

Researchers used data from a large survey called the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) that asks households questions about their health and nutrition. They looked at information from six African countries that completed this survey between 2021 and 2024. The survey included new questions specifically about nutrition care, such as whether pregnant women received counseling about breastfeeding and diet, and whether families with young children received advice about feeding practices.

The researchers added up all the responses to see what percentage of people in each country received different types of nutrition help. They then looked at whether certain groups—like people in different regions, wealthier versus poorer families, and mothers with different education levels—received different amounts of help.

This approach is like taking a snapshot of nutrition programs at one point in time across multiple countries, rather than following the same people over time.

This research matters because governments need accurate information to know if their nutrition programs are reaching everyone fairly. By using a standardized survey that all countries use the same way, researchers can compare what’s happening in different places and identify where help is needed most. The new questions added to the survey were designed based on international health recommendations, so the data collected is relevant to what health experts say people actually need.

This study uses data from a well-established, internationally recognized survey that has been used for decades. The survey is conducted by trained interviewers and uses consistent methods across countries, which makes the results reliable for comparison. However, the study relies on people’s memories of whether they received nutrition advice, which might not always be perfectly accurate. The study also only looks at six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, so the findings may not apply to other regions.

What the Results Show

The research found a clear pattern: pregnant women and new mothers received much more nutrition counseling than families with babies and young children. In Ghana, the country with the highest coverage, 88% of pregnant women received counseling about breastfeeding and 92% received advice about their own diet during pregnancy. However, only 50% of families with young children received counseling about feeding practices. In Mozambique, the gaps were even larger, with only 48% of pregnant women receiving breastfeeding counseling and just 12% of families with young children getting feeding advice.

The biggest differences in who received help were based on where people lived. In Kenya, for example, there was a 71 percentage point difference between regions in whether young children had their height and weight measured—meaning some areas were measuring almost all children while other areas were measuring very few. This suggests that some regions have much better nutrition programs than others.

Wealthier families and mothers with more education were more likely to receive nutrition counseling. This means that families who might need the most help—those with less money and less education—were often getting less support. These inequalities were consistent across all six countries studied.

The research also showed that the type of nutrition care varied significantly. Counseling during pregnancy and right after birth was more common than ongoing support for infant and young child feeding. This suggests that programs focus more on the pregnancy period than on the critical early childhood years when nutrition is also very important for development. The variation between countries was substantial, indicating that some countries have invested more in nutrition programs than others.

This study builds on previous research showing that nutrition programs are unevenly distributed in low-income countries. The new finding is that the gap between prenatal and postnatal nutrition support is larger than previously documented. This research also provides the most recent and comprehensive data available on nutrition program coverage in these six countries, using standardized questions that allow for fair comparisons.

The study only includes six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, so results may not apply to other regions or countries. The data comes from household surveys where people report whether they received counseling, which relies on memory and might not be completely accurate. The study is a snapshot in time (2021-2024) and doesn’t show whether coverage is improving or getting worse. The study also doesn’t measure whether the nutrition advice people received was actually good quality or whether it helped improve children’s health.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, governments in these countries should: (1) Expand nutrition counseling programs for families with babies and young children, since this is where coverage is lowest; (2) Focus on reaching families in rural areas and poorer regions where coverage gaps are largest; (3) Make sure programs reach families with less education and lower incomes. These recommendations have moderate confidence because the data clearly shows the gaps, but the study doesn’t test whether specific solutions would work.

Pregnant women and families with young children in these six African countries should care about this research because it shows whether nutrition support is available to them. Government health officials and program managers should use this information to improve their nutrition programs. International health organizations should use this data to guide where they direct resources. Families in other low-income countries may also find this relevant, though the specific numbers won’t apply to their situation.

Changes in nutrition program coverage would likely take 1-3 years to implement and show results. If governments expand counseling programs, families should start receiving more nutrition advice within 6-12 months. However, improvements in children’s actual nutrition and health would take longer—typically 6 months to 2 years to see measurable changes in growth and development.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track whether you received nutrition counseling at each health visit during pregnancy and after birth. Log the specific topics covered (breastfeeding, maternal diet, infant feeding practices) and the date. This helps you monitor your own care and identify gaps.
  • Use the app to set reminders to ask your healthcare provider about nutrition counseling if you haven’t received it. Create a checklist of nutrition topics you want to discuss: breastfeeding techniques, what foods to eat while pregnant, how to introduce solid foods to babies, and feeding practices for young children.
  • Over 12 months, track how many nutrition counseling sessions you attend and what topics are covered. Compare your experience to the coverage rates in your country and region from this study. If you’re receiving less support than the average, use the app to help you advocate for better services or seek additional resources.

This research describes nutrition program coverage in six African countries and should not be used as medical advice. If you are pregnant or have young children, consult with your healthcare provider about appropriate nutrition counseling and support for your specific situation. The findings reflect data from 2021-2024 and may not represent current conditions. This study identifies gaps in nutrition programs but does not provide personalized nutrition recommendations. Always seek guidance from qualified healthcare professionals for nutrition and health decisions.