Key Activities

Key Activities

Food and Nutrition Surveillance

Food and Nutrition Surveillance is the systematic and continuous collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of food and nutrition data.  It implies the regular and timely collection, analysis, reporting and distribution of data on food and nutritional status and other nutrition-related information for decision making.  Food and nutrition information is needed for immediate and medium to long term decision-making relating to a country’s health, nutritional needs, hunger, agricultural policies and programmes.  It is therefore critical that this information provides for prompt action before some of the serious consequences of ill health remain unchecked and become prevalent.  Within the framework of Food and Nutrition Surveillance systems, data collected should be useful and timely to facilitate relevant and timely action.  

• Infants and Young Children

CARPHA has developed a module in its health information management platform DHIS2, to capture data from countries on key indicators of the growth and development of infants and young children. Training has commenced to address the standardisation of data collection, analysis and reporting. Training in the use of the nutriton module in DHIS will commence in 2020.

• Adolescents – No current activities
• Adults – CARPHA has data for several CMS from the WHO STEPS Surveys conducted over a period of years.
• Elderly- The CARPHA State of Public Health Report 2019 focused on "Healthy Ageing"

Health Promotion

• Interventions in Settings (Schools)
• • School-Based interventions in St. Lucia, Grenada (2017 – 2020) and The British Virgin Islands (2014-2020). The main objective of these initiatives is to ensure that the environments where children live learn and play are supportive of healthy eating and physical activity behaviours.

 

Policies, Plans and Guidelines

• National Food and Nutrition Security Policies
• National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policies
• Hospital Breastfeeding Policies
• National School Nutrition Policies
• Caribbean Guidelines for Feeding Children in Schools
• Regional Framework for the Reduction of Sodium in Populations

Integrated Disease Management

• Provide technical guidance in the preparation of clinical guidelines for the prevention and Control of Obesity, Diabetes and Hypertension

Research Projects

• Evaluation of School Food Options
• CARICOM/ Japanese Cooperation and Friendship Fund- Reducing salt consumption for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDS) in the Caribbean - Development of a Model Framework for the Reduction of Salt in Populations to prevent and Control NCDs
• WDF Funded Project - School-based interventions to reverse the rise in childhood obesity

Training and Capacity Building

• Food and Nutrition Surveillance Training
• Policy Development and the Logical Framework Approach to Planning and Evaluation; Logic Matrix
• Anthropometric Assessments
• Use of the WHO Software to analyse data on infants and young children (WHO ANTHRO); and for older children 5-19 years (WHO ANTHRO Plus)
• Use of other nutritional analysis software e.g. Tinuviel WISP Version 4.0