Health and Nutrition – Community Development & Humanitarian Network

Health & Nutrition Programme

We live in an interconnected world: the health and well-being of the environment, animals, and humans are intertwined in ways that are becoming increasingly apparent. Tackling today’s greatest challenges— whether climate change, pandemics, or drug resistance— requires an approach that recognizes these relationships.

CoDHNet works to improve healthcare access and address malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable and underserved populations. We provide mobile health services, nutritional support, and health education to at-risk communities.

The One Health for Humans, Environment, Animals, and Livelihoods (HEAL) Program is a holistic approach that emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health to improve overall community well-being and resilience. Below are the proposed pillars or thematic areas for the HEAL program:

Why CoDHNet’s HEAL Program Matters:

Through an integrated approach, CoDHNet’s HEAL Program addresses the root causes of health challenges while promoting resilience and sustainability. Our impact includes:

✅ Improved community health through access to comprehensive services.
✅ Strengthened livelihoods, reducing vulnerability to climate and health shocks.
✅ Enhanced environmental sustainability through climate-smart initiatives.
✅ Effective disease prevention and rapid response to health threats.

Join us in advancing One Health solutions for a healthier and more resilient future in the Horn of Africa

Primary Health Care (PHC): Provide essential health services, including maternal and child health, immunization, and management of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Nutrition Support: Address malnutrition through therapeutic feeding, dietary education, and community-based nutrition interventions.
Health Education: Raise awareness on disease prevention, hygiene practices, and healthy living habits.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Provide counseling, trauma recovery, and support for mental well-being, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Veterinary Services: Ensure animal vaccination, disease surveillance, and treatment to protect livestock health.
Livestock-Based Livelihoods: Strengthen income-generating activities for pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, such as dairy and meat production, and value chain development.
Zoonotic Disease Control: Prevent and manage zoonotic diseases (e.g., Rift Valley Fever, brucellosis) through integrated surveillance and response systems.

Environmental Protection and Climate change:

Climate change is arguably one of the defining challenges of our time. Certainly, in the displacement affected area in which CoDHNet works, climate change and environmental degradation not only potentially accelerate localized conflict over natural resources, but also deepen vulnerabilities as livelihoods or living conditions erode. Climate change and environmental degradation can be threat multipliers as climate-related risks may exacerbate conflict dynamics and increase the impact of other drivers of conflict and fragility.

An Innovative energy, environmental and climate change programs.

To address the acute need for more sustainable and accessible energy source is underlining the importance of addressing displacement in the context of climate change as we work to ensure protection of forcibly displaced people.

Addressing climate change through innovative programs CoDHNet will focus the following areas: – 1) Clean cooking solution; 2) Energy efficiency; 3) Energy conservation; 4) Environmental social impact assessments; 5) Climate smart Agriculture; and 6) Home solar system for school going children.

The above innovative programs addresses two sites of the same scenario a) the need for forest conservation and b) the need for energy sources.

In Somalia, pastoralists are grappling with frequent and severe droughts, affecting their herds and their livelihoods. Large numbers of livestock in this area have died, putting more pressure on an already weak economy. Climate change and resource scarcity are exacerbated by a lack of policies on land-use and disaster risk management at the national level. Through CoDHNet framework is underlining the importance of addressing displacement in the context of climate change as we work to ensure protection of forcibly displaced people.

WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene): Improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion to prevent waterborne diseases.
Climate-Smart Practices: Promote sustainable agricultural techniques, water resource management, and renewable energy solutions to enhance community resilience to climate shocks.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health: Protect ecosystems by promoting reforestation, sustainable land use, and natural resource conservation.

CoDHNet Climate and Environmental Action! As CoDHNet we are taking climate and environmental actions within the three core pillars of our Climate and Environmental Framework:

Adaptation in Programmatic Response;
Mitigating CoDHNet’s Environmental and Climate Footprint, and
Advocacy for Displaced persons in the Context of Climate Change.

Therefore, these three pillars shape are based to our response to the climate and environment crises and their interaction with forced displacement.

Furthermore, resilience to climate shocks, environmental degradation and displacement is often very low in fragile and conflict-affected contexts and disproportionately affects the world’s most vulnerable.

In this context, the relationship between climate change, conflict, poverty and persecution greatly increases the complexity of humanitarian crises, refugee emergencies, as well as protracted displacement situations. In effect, the climate lens is becoming increasingly important for a humanitarian organization like CoDHNet. Therefore, CoDHNet has committed to act and address the protection needs of forced migrants, including the internally displaced persons, victims of trafficking, stateless persons and other persons of concern.

Integrated Surveillance: Establish systems to monitor and detect emerging human and animal health threats, including zoonotic diseases.
Rapid Response Teams: Develop and train multi-sectoral teams for timely responses to outbreaks and emergencies.
Community Engagement: Empower communities to participate in disease reporting and prevention strategies.

Training Programs: Build the capacity of health workers, veterinarians, and community leaders in One Health approaches.
Research and Innovation: Encourage research on One Health challenges and solutions, and foster innovation for integrated health services.
Policy Advocacy: Work with stakeholders to integrate One Health into local, regional, and national policies and frameworks.

Gender and Inclusion: Promote equitable access to health and nutrition services, with a focus on women, children, and marginalized groups.
Community Resilience: Strengthen community-based structures to ensure sustainability and ownership of the HEAL program.
Partnerships and Collaboration: Foster multi-sectoral partnerships among government, NGOs, and private sectors for coordinated One Health interventions.

Improved Community Health: Enhanced access to integrated human and animal health services reduces disease burden and improves overall well-being.
Resilient Livelihoods: Strengthened livelihoods and reduced vulnerability to climate and disease shocks.
Environmental Sustainability: Improved environmental health through sustainable practices that benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems.
Disease Prevention: Reduced risks of zoonotic disease outbreaks through coordinated surveillance and rapid response efforts.

This integrated approach ensures that interventions address the root causes of health challenges while promoting sustainability and resilience.

Get Involved!

You can make a difference by:

✅ Donating to support health services, nutrition programs, and climate resilience initiatives.
✅ Partnering with us to expand our reach and impact.
✅ Volunteering your expertise to strengthen our programs.

🔗 Visit our website to donate and learn more: https://www.codhnet.or.ke/
📧 Contact us for partnership opportunities: https://www.codhnet.or.ke/contacts/

Join us in building healthier, more resilient communities through the HEAL Program!