The Honduras AIN-C (Atencion Integral ala Ninez-Comunitaria) Program is a preventive health andnutrition program of the Honduras Ministry of Health thatrelies on volunteers to help mothers and communitiespro-actively monitor and maintain the adequate growth ofyoung children. A 2000 experimental-design based evaluationfound that the program achieved near-universal coverage andwas effective in improving mothers' child-rearingknowledge, attitudes and practices, including feedingpractices and appropriate care-giving and care-seekingpractices for children with diarrhea and acute respiratoryillness. The program is widely regarded as a model. Thisstudy was undertaken to provide the first comprehensiveestimates of the cost of AIN-C, with the goal of providing aprogram and financial planning tool for Honduras, as well asother countries interested in implementing an AIN-C Program.Expressed in mid-2002 U.S. dollars, the study found: (1) thelong-term, annual, recurrent cost per child less than twoparticipating in the program is US$6.82, (2) the long-term,annual, incremental budget requirements per child less thantwo participating in the program is $4.00, (3) thelong-term, annual recurrent cost per capita is $0.44, andthe cost of an AIN-C monthly growth monitoring andcounseling session per child is 11 percent of the cost of atraditional MOH, facility-based growth and developmentconsultation per child.
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