Tenders are invited for Qualitative Study of Local Foods and the Design of Nutritional Infant Recipes in the CAR. Closing Date: 24 Oct 2025 Type: Consultancy CONTEXT AND RATIONALE The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the Central African countries that has experienced major crises in recent years (including armed conflicts, intercommunal conflicts, epidemics, and climate shocks), which have significantly impacted the countrys social, economic, and health development. According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs Report and Response Plan for the CAR, nearly 2.4 million people (38% of the total population) are in a situation of extreme vulnerability and require humanitarian assistance across the country. According to the 2022 SMART national nutrition survey, the prevalence of global chronic malnutrition (GCM) is 37.9% [36.4-39.4] (above the critical threshold of 30%) and that of global acute malnutrition (GAM) is 5.5% [5.0-6.1] (above the alert threshold of 5%). The three sub-prefectures of the Ngaoundaye Health District (HD) are all classified in phase 3 (serious situation) according to the IPC acute malnutrition analysis. The SMART nutrition survey report conducted by ACF in the Ngaoundaye HD in July 2025 highlighted a worrying nutritional situation. Based on WHO thresholds, 1) the GAM rate (7.0% [5.9-8.3]) is classified at a medium level (5 - <10%), describing a precarious situation; 2) the rate of MCG (40.6% [36.7- 44.7]) is classified at a very high level (>=30%), describing a critical situation; 3) the rate of global underweight (IPG: 20.0% [17.2 - 23.2]) is classified at a high level (20 to 29%), describing a worrying situation. All these values are above the national and prefectural averages, when compared to the results of the 2022 national survey. Also, the prevalence of MAG based on the Brachial Perimeter only, exceeds 10% in women of childbearing age overall (10.5%), but also in groups of pregnant and breastfeeding women - FEFA (10.3%). This constitutes a major risk factor for maternal and neonatal health. In a context where there are multiple aggravating factors (food insecurity, poor access to healthcare, insufficient vaccination coverage, epidemics, insecurity), the risk of rapid deterioration in GAM is high. Given the threshold for GAM and its serious consequences on childrens health and development, there is a need to strengthen preventive interventions. This study suggests paying more attention to younger children (6 to 23 months), in whom the GAM rate is more worrying (11.3%, compared to 4.6% in those aged 24 to 59 months), exceeding the emergency threshold. In addition to the worrying acute malnutrition rates for the country and for the Ngaoundaye District Health Unit specifically, the CAR is increasingly facing dysfunction in the management of acute malnutrition cases, due to the inadequacy and shortage of medical and nutritional supplies. This dysfunction has worsened since January 2025, following the cessation of funding from USAID, UNICEF CARs main donor for nutritional supplies, leading to the onset of this crisis. This raises the need, beyond strengthening preventive interventions to reduce prevalence, to consider local alternative solutions for case management. Inadequate dietary diversification remains one of the major causes of malnutrition in the Ngaoundaye District Health Unit. According to the study on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers of children aged 0 to 23 months, carried out by ACF in December 2024, only a third (33%) of children aged 6 to 23 months had consumed meals composed of at least 5 food groups (group 1: based on cereals or roots or tubers; group 2: legumes; group 3: meat products and derivatives; group 4: dairy products; group 5: fruits and vegetables; group 6: oils and fats) in the last 24 hours preceding the survey. In addition, the DS of Ngaoundaye is characterized by a set of factors that influence the dietary diversification of communities in general, children and women in particular. These include insufficient access to information and a variety of foods (availability, price, agricultural practices, seasonality, etc.); ignorance of recommendations (relating to the composition of a balanced meal for a child); Family or cultural food preferences... It is in light of all of the above that Action Against Hunger (ACF), present in the Ngaoundaye DS since 2022 to support the Central African government in the fight against malnutrition, seized the opportunity of funding from the French Initiative for Food Security and Nutrition (IFSAN) to conduct a study on the availability and accessibility of food in the DS and develop a nutritional recipe guide. suitable for children from 6 to 23 months and FEFA, based on local foods. [Disclaimer: The above text is machine translated. For accurate information kindly refer the original document.] Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4179942/etude-qualitative-des-aliments-locaux-et-la-conception-des-recettes-nutritives-infantiles-en-rca
