7 Small-animal Revolving Funds: An Innovative Programming Model to Increase Access to and Consumption of Animal-source Foods by Rural Households in Malawi

Increased intake of animal-source foods is a key means to improve nutritional status in populations with high levels of nutrient deficiencies. However, there are few examples of programming models that have successfully improved both access to and consumption of animal products in resource-poor settings. This chapter presents a case study of a community-based intervention to increase household access to and consumption of animal-source foods, implemented as part of a comprehensive, 9-year nutrition and health programme in Malawi. A community-managed revolving fund scheme was used to distribute small animals to rural households, accompanied by training on animal husbandry and intensive nutrition education to promote consumption of the animal products. This was integrated into a broader anaemia control strategy, which included iron supplementation and malaria control. Cross-sectional surveys were used to evaluate programme effectiveness, including comparison of beneficiary communities with non-programme areas. Household rearing of all small animals increased from 43% to 65% in programme areas. Significantly more households in the programme area both raised and consumed the target animals at the final evaluation. Anaemia prevalence in pregnant women decreased from 59% to 48% in the programme area, but increased to 68% in the comparison group. In pre-school children, anaemia prevalence decreased similarly in both groups. The revolving fund scheme successfully increased access to and consumption of small animals in programme communities. Anaemia prevalence decreased in women, but the specific contribution of the animals to this cannot be separated from the combined impact of the integrated programme.