Santa Ana, Cagayan--- Department of Health- Disaster and Risk Reduction Management for Health (DOH-DRRM-H) and National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region 02 trained 38 Information Management Officers during the recently concluded Training on Nutrition Cluster Information Management (NCIM) Batch 1 and 2 at Country Inn Hotel and Restaurant, Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
The Nutrition Cluster aims to ensure that the nutritional status of affected population especially the most vulnerable group i.e. infants, children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, older persons, persons with disabilities and people living with debilitating conditions, will not worsen or deteriorate due to impact of emergencies or disasters.
The prompt and successful response by the nutrition cluster during disasters and emergencies, however, requires accurate, reliable and recent data about the areas and the people affected and inherent capacities of the areas to respond, generated through an information management system. Such information are essential in planning and providing appropriate, adequate and timely nutrition interventions, and in formulating comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation plan. Review of nutrition cluster responses and gaps is also vital to improve future nutrition response.
Hence, the DOH-DRRM-H and NNC conducted the NCIM training which aims to build the capacities of provincial and city/municipal nutrition cluster members on nutrition information management.
In her welcome remarks, Maria Gisela M. Lonzaga, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, acknowledged the efforts and funding of the DOH-HEM B for the said training. “This training funded by the Department of Health is very timely and appropriate to Health and Nutrition workers as they will be capacitated to manage nutrition information during disaster in order to give appropriate nutrition interventions to affected populace,” she added.
The participants gave positive feedback about the training. Dr. Almira Reyes, Municipal Health Officer and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer- LGU San Mariano, Isabela, shared that this is only her second time to attend a nutrition related training. She emphasized that she realized that it is very important to prioritize nutrition programs in every locality. “ Sa totoo lang may iba pang training na dapat kong attendan pero mas pinili kong dito umattend at tama ang naging desisyon ko dahil sa pag attend ko dito nalaman ko na mas dapat bigyang pansin ang mga programang pang nutrisyon dahil mas nakakatulong ito sa kahit anong locality,” she happily shared during the impressions of participants.
The 38 newly trained IMOs, who consisted of Provincial, Municipal and City Nutrition Officers, Nutrition Program Coordinators and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers, were expected to roll out this training in their respective LGUs.# (JNLB-NNC)
