The
Nutrition Unit under the Directorate of Health Promotion and Health (MOH) with
support from UNICEF has organised two days sensitisation on Basic Nutrition
Education and Mother MUAC concept for 300 women in Central River Region north.
The
event conducted over the weekend was simultaneously held at various health
facilities in Buduck, Jarumeh Koto, Njau, Sami Karantaba Tenda, Dingerai and
Ballangarr villages.
Fatou
Darboe, a senior programme officer at the Directorate of Health Promotion and
Education said the forum on basic nutrition education forms part of the Mother
Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) project pioneered by the Nutrition Unit
under Directorate of Health Promotion and Education with funding from UNICEF.
She
explained that Mother MUAC is a new
concept in The Gambia where mothers are trained to screen for acute
malnutrition in their children and other children under five by measuring MUAC
and testing for oedema
She
further explained that the Mother MUAC project is geared towards averting
malnutrition related morbidity and mortality in children under five and that
the project is currently being piloted in the Central River Region north hence
the need for the sensitisation.
Senior
Programme Officer Darboe emphasised that after the training participants are
expected to be active in screening of childern under five at their various
localities, adding that they are also expected to report to the Community Health Nurse covering their
communities for further action.
“This
event will not only include basic nutrition education, hygiene and sanitation;
participants will also be trained on how to conduct malnutrition surveillance
with the use of MUAC tape within their localities,” she said.
“A
total of 15000 mothers are expected to benefit from nutrition IYCF counselling
and 8000 children under five are expected to be screened every month,” she
declared.
She
maintained that some of the project’s objectives are to prevent malnutrition in
children by increasing the awareness level of the mothers.
Senior Programme Officer Darboe further
declared that involving mothers in nutrition screening activities will put
mothers at best position to identify early signs of malnutrition and reinforce
their role in protecting and promoting their children’s health.
Lamin
Jaiteh, a community health nurse at Jarumeh Kotu Health Facility, encouraged
participants to take the training seriously and urged them to put into practice
the knowledge and skills gained from the training for their own health and that
of their children in particular.
“Let
me explain that exclusive breastfeeding, personal hygiene and early booking
among others are good for the mother and the child,” he said.
Ebou
Keita, also a Community Health Nurse at Sami Karantaba Health Facility thanked
the Directorate of Health Promotion and UNICEF for funding the sensitisation on
the MAUR Concept in their health facility.
He
also hailed them for facilitating a day orientation for community health nurses
in CRR north on the Mother MUAC Concept and added that it was after that
orientation that they too are now conducting a step down training for mothers
who will conduct further step down trainings of selected mothers.
Fatou
Secka, a participant, commended the
Health Directorate and UNICEF for coming down to their level by helping and
educating them on Nutrition Education and the Mother MUAC Concepts.
She
assured that the knowledge and lessons learned from the training will be put
into good use.
