Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is a standard global health sector practice during infancy and early childhood. Governments throughout the world use GMPas an important platform for improving child health and nutrition or for delivering crucial child health and nutrition services. Tailored, feasible, and understandable
individual nutrition and growth counseling by frontline workers during GMP sessions – or the “promotion” component of GMP – is critical for these programs to be effective.

This brief draws on available evidence and research on social behavior change communication (SBCC) and GMP service provision to guide eaders on actions that can maximize the potential of “promotion” within the provision of GMP services. The recommendations for this brief pull from lessons learned from SBCC nutrition  interventions during the first 1,000 days, research conducted with GMP programs, and from supply-side interventions that have supported frontline workers in carrying out nutrition counseling activities. The brief does not cover the known measurement challenges associated with GMP (4,5), which need to be addressed in parallel to the actions we recommend on improving promotion.

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