Improving health care and nutrition for better use and utilisation of food

The IFSP health team, which is a joint undertaking of the Department of Health Services and EHED, in cooperation with the Department of Education, organises a regular deworming and provision of vitamin A for about 35,000 school children in Trincomalee district. Health and nutrition awareness and health education are provided on a regular base for teachers and mothers. National immunisation campaigns and the ‘participatory nutrition improvement programme’ (MPI/UNICEF) are supported.

Village health care and nutrition related services aim at behaviour change of teachers, health personnel, mothers and key village persons. Topics include use and utilisation of healthy foods, personal and public hygiene, infant care, breast feeding, prevention of diseases, garbage disposal and waste maangement and HIV awareness.

In cooperation with EHED and the Department of Health IFSP continues to support the training and supervision of 45 village health volunteers who are bridging the gap between the state health services and the requirements of local communities.

A draft final for an ‘integrated nutrition and food security action plan’ for Trincomalee district as a contribution to the national nutrition action plan was presented in late 2001.

The school feeding programme provides a mid-day meal for about 8,000 children in 60 schools in 9 DS Divisions. The regular mid-day meal has increased the attendance to an average of about 85%. More teachers and better facilities are now required. The cost of only Rs. 4 to 5 for one mid-day meal per child should allow that parents fully take over.

Improved water supply and sanitation has significant impacts on better use and utilisation of food. From 1999 to October 2003 1,585 toilets and 76 drinking water wells and local water supply schemes for more than for 5,000 families were established through local CBOs and with the assistance of the Department of Health Services and Trincomalee based NGOs.

pdf    90 KB  Technical Paper 7  Mid-day meal for School Children

pdf   168 KB  Technical Paper 12 Mid-day meal Evaluation

pdf   1,818 KB Technical Paper 23 A different Way of Community
                     Mobilisation I: Mid-day meal

pdf   582 KB  Technical Paper 30 A different Way of Community Mobilisation II:                      Hygiene - Sanitation

pdf   220 KB  Working Paper 24 Baseline Survey on Health and Nutrition

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