Dumaguete City – The DOH-RO 7 came back to Negros Oriental to train a new batch of trainees for the “Training on Integrated Course on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), and Child Growth Standard (CGS) for Nutrition and Health Workers”. This was held on 13-17 June 2016 at Plaza Maria Luisa Suites Inn, Dumaguete City. The capacity development activity was conducted in coordination with the Negros Oriental Provincial Nutrition Committee.

With the PGN-IYCF trainings for the province completed in the first half of 2012, recent monitoring done by the Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) has concluded that many new health and nutrition personnel have not been trained in said course.

In response to the identified gap, the Department of Health RO 7 spearheaded a training of trainers on IYCF and CGS for the different city and municipal nutrition program coordinators, nurses, and rural health midwives in the province with the objective of having them roll-out said trainings to the barangay health and nutrition workers that they supervise.

In 2002, the World Health Organization and UNICEF adopted a Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. The strategy was developed to revitalize world attention to the impact that feeding practices have on the nutritional status, growth, development and health, and thus the very survival of infants and young children.

The importance of breastfeeding for the first six months of life and provision of appropriate complementary feeding for the next six months while continuing breastfeeding was discussed profoundly in the said training. “As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. On the next six months, complementary foods are introduced but breastfeeding should still continue for up to two years of age and beyond”, said Ms. Jennifer Remollo, DMO of DOH-RO 7 and one of the trainers. Remollo added that “breastfeeding develops a good relationship between the mother and the baby”.

The training also talked about feeding in exceptionally difficult circumstances like emergency situations, malnourished children, low-birth-weight babies, infants of HIV-infected mothers and orphans. These are some of the new targets that need consideration and guidance.

The National Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, Breast Milk Supplement and other Related Products or EO 51 was discussed by Ms. Judith A. Vailoces, PHN of the Negros Oriental Provincial Health Office. This is to ensure that all those involved in the field of infant nutrition shall be reminded of the objective of the said Code. 

The participants also had their practicum at Barangay Batinguel, Barangay Lo-oc, and Barangay Canday-ong in the city of Dumaguete. Through the practicum, they were able to apply what they have learned throughout the training. // Ann Francis R. Genove, PHA/NO I, Negros Oriental