Project Updates
Healthcare
Baby Friendly Community Initiative
by Anne Marie Goss, MJP-NHS Senior Nurse Practitioner
01 June 2010
Helping to improve nutrition for those children under the age of 5, MJP launched the BFCI programme with the Cambodian National Nutrition Programme and UNICEF. 6 Mother Support Groups (MSG) consisting of 21 permanent trainers were established to cover 4 villages. The Mother Support Groups make monthly visits with local mothers with children under the age of 5 and hold meetings every 2 months for them and any local pregnant woman. The groups weigh the children and educate the women about breast feeding, hygienic food preparation and nutrition using cooking demonstrations to help reduce maternal and child malnutrition. The group reached 512 mothers (88 pregnant women) in 4 target villages in 2010.
- Kantuot: 1 group with 5 trainers
- Samlout: 2 groups (each group has 3 trainers)
- Bueng Run: 2 groups (each group has 3 trainers)
- Kampong Touk: 1 group with 4 trainers
Also, 387 children under the age of 5 were weighed by the MSGs at BFCI meetings; 58 were found to be underweight and were subsequently referred to the MJP Baby Friendly Clinics at BRHC and KTHP.