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Working Group on Capacity Development in Food and Nutrition
held during SCN's 32nd Session, 16 March 2005, Brasilia
Co-Chairs: Cutberto Garza UNU, David Sanders University of the Western
Cape, South Africa, and Hans Schoeneberger GTZ
1. The reports from the regional Capacity Building task forces (Asia, Latin
America, the Middle East and Southern Africa) in Brasilia showed that the
regional groups are well organized and active, although functioning at different
levels of activity. Regional initiatives are ongoing in all major regions of the
developing world except for Eastern Europe. An organizational meeting of that
task force’s leadership is scheduled in Budapest in mid-May, 2005. The intensive
networking of training and research institutions is regarded as a very
productive mode of functioning, the regional approach was reaffirmed, and the
need to maintain the regionally driven agendas and organization was reasserted.
A. Asian Capacity Development/Strengthening Task Force:
Activities carried out by the Asian Capacity Development Task Force in 2004
included:
- 10-day Training Workshop on Maternal and Child Nutrition Survey at INMU,
Thailand, 3–13 March (sponsored by UNICEF and USCDC)
- Training workshop on Vitamin A Assessment at INMU, Thailand, May
(sponsored by IAEA)
- Fourth Meeting of CASNA held in Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, India, 26-27 Aug.
- Presentations by several members at the Seminar on “Role of Ethnic Foods
in Nutrition” in CFTRI on 28 Aug. (jointly organized by CFTRI and U of Mysore)
The first activity in 2005 was a nutrition advocacy workshop, “Raising the
Profile of Nutrition: An Asia Pacific Workshop” held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
on 25-29 April, a collaborative effort sponsored by several UN and other
agencies. The workshop’s main organizers were WHO and Ministry of Health
Malaysia in collaboration with UNICEF, UNU/CASNA, International Nutrition
Foundation and Universti Putra Malaysia. Participants included senior level
offices in policy and research from seven countries namely, India, Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Mongolia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia. The “PROFILES” process
was applied to demonstrate the contributions that improved nutrition can make to
human and economic development.
B. Latin American Capacity Development/Strengthening Task Force
The group’s report in Brasilia focused on two activities:
- UNU/IUNS Leadership training workshops are held in Latin-America (LA)
every 3 years, in conjunction with the SLAN (Sociedad Latino Americana de
Nutricion) conference (Antigua, Guatemala in 1997, Buenos Aires, Argentina in
2000 and Cuernavaca, México in 2003). The next workshop will be held in
Florianopolis, Brazil (2006). Candidates apply in response to a request for
applications and are selected by a group of recognized regional nutrition
leaders. A maximum of 25 participants are selected from the pool of young
professionals working in nutrition research and education or in nutrition
intervention programs in their countries. Applicants should have post graduate
training (preferably PhD). The program’s expected outcomes are the development
of leadership skills, reinforcement of interpersonal, team building and
participation skills and commitment to public nutrition, based on motivation,
inspiration, and creation of opportunities and common search of solutions.
- In order to develop a research agenda for nutrition in LA a network of
regional research institutions has been created. Based on the epidemiologic
profile of nutrition and health in 9 countries (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela) and on a survey of
research priorities and publications in institutions involved in nutrition
research in these countries, 5 priority research areas have been identified
(Acute Malnutrition, Stunting, Micronutrient Deficiencies, Nutrition-related
Chronic Diseases, and Food Insecurity) and a working group has been
established for each area. The network’s principal objectives are to develop
research agendas and multi-center proposals for submission for financial
support. All the groups are active and progressing well.
C. Middle East Capacity Development/Strengthening Task Force
- A brief description of the region’s nutrition situation was presented with
a short history of the establishment of the National Nutrition Capacity
Building Task Force (which includes distinguished scientists & nutritionists
from different organizations and universities in Egypt) and the task force’s
main activities. Among the most important activities was the First Regional 2-
day Workshop on Nutrition Capacity Development, held July 2004, in Cairo (NNI/UNU/IUNS)
under the patronage of the Egyptian Minister of Health and Population. The
workshop was organized by the National Nutrition Institute (NNI), funded by
UNU, and included 11 countries from the region (Sudan – Kuwait - Lebanon –
Oman – Libya – Saudi Arabia – Yemen – Jordan – Palestine – Egypt),
representatives from UN agencies (FAO, UNICEF) and various Egyptian
nutrition-related organizations and institutes.
- A brief description of the workshop’s outcomes was presented highlighting
the 10-year action plan developed by workshop participants. The plan was
subdivided into 5 core areas (Nutrition Research, Nutrition Training,
Nutrition Academic Education & Accreditation, Nutrition Advocacy / Education
Communication, Nutrition Networking). Other of the workshop’s principal
outcomes were the establishment of “The Middle East and North African
Nutrition Association” (MENANA) and the selection of priority activities to be
implemented during 2005:
- The establishment of a regional Nutrition Capacity Building website that
will include a database of selected, sensitive, simple nutrition status
indicators to monitor regional nutrition status
- Support of Libya’s Food Fortification project
- Support of Bahrain’s & Kuwait’s Ministries of Health’s efforts to
improve the nutritional knowledge and related skills of their countries
medical students
- Building capacity of professionals and key personnel in management and
planning of nutrition programs to tackle nutrition problems and achieve the
Millennium Development Goals. A four-month Regional training course was
conducted at NNI, Cairo from 1-12-2004 to 30-March 2005 according to
recommendations of the Regional Capacity Building members of the July/2004
Meeting in Cairo. It was encouraged by UNU and supported financialy by WHO/EMRO.
- A brief description of the 1st Regional 2-day meeting of MENANA Research
group also was presented. The group met at the NNI in Cairo in December 2004
and included representatives from 6 countries. The meeting focused on the
priority areas identified above. The participants agreed to form 3 working
groups that focused on selected priority areas.
D. Southern Africa Capacity Development/Strengthening Task Force
- SANCADI was established as the first of the African nutrition capacity
development initiatives. Soon after its formation it concluded a strategic
planning exercise in which it was agreed to create a “learning co-operative”
comprised of regional institutions and provide a mechanism for mutual transfer
of expertise and capacity. It was decided that the primary focus of SANCADI
would be the development of capacity for programme implementation and
evaluation. There was consensus amongst the active nodes of SANCADI that the
HIV/AIDS pandemic is presenting new and major challenges in nutrition and that
capacity development was urgently required in this area. Accordingly, the
expertise of the Regional Training Centre for Quality of Care has been used to
strengthen capacity in Southern Africa through the training of selected
academics, managers and practitioners. Two successful courses have been held
in East Africa and trainees have been furnished with materials to assist them
in conducting similar training activities in their home countries. The current
challenge is to sustain and expand the capacity already developed through
outreach support and ongoing mentoring.
- In association with the HIV/AIDS crisis, severe childhood malnutrition is
becoming an increasing problem in the region. Although feasible approaches and
guidelines exist to optimally manage the problem, it is apparent that
significant capacity building is required throughout the region to ensure
their proper implementation. SANCADI has resolved to focus effort on this area
over the next period, drawing on expertise that has been developed in
institutions in South Africa and Malawi.
- Finally, given the combined effects in the region of drought, economic
stress and political instability, and HIV/AIDS, household food insecurity has
become more widespread. Governments and regional bodies such as SADC recently
have shown increased interest and commitment to address this problem. SANCADI
has begun, and will continue, to advocate for greater attention and resources
to be given to food and nutrition security and its determinants in the
Southern African region.
- SANCADI’s work has been constrained over the past period by the lack of
designated personnel with the time and resource base to ensure coordination of
its activities. This deficit is soon to be corrected with the appointment of a
part-time coordinator who will be based in the region and report to the
SANCADI coordinating group.
2. The co-chairs and regional leaders of the Capacity Development/
Strengthening and the Nutrition and Human Rights Working Groups met to identify
collaborative opportunities with the objective of enhancing individual,
institutional, and organizational capacity to mainstream the human rights
approach in nutrition training, research and capacity building.
3. NGOs requested that they be allowed to participate in the regional
Capacity Building WGs or at least be informed about their activities. This was
agreed and regional groupings were encouraged to invite other participants.
4. The Capacity Building WG suggested taking advantage of the annual SCN
Meetings to organize a side meeting of the chairs and leaders of the regional
Capacity Building WGs in order to discuss common subjects, progress, obstacles
and actions.
5. The regional networks were encouraged to put more emphasis on action
oriented research and training.
6. The regional networks are mainly working on the links between nutrition
and health. It was suggested that more emphasis is needed on the links between
nutrition and education, agriculture, productivity and others.
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