A five-day intensive training that focused on severe malnutrition management for 43 nurses and doctors recently concluded at the New Serrekunda Hospital in Kanifing.

Financed by a World Bank project, through The Gambia government, under the Rapid Response Nutrition Security Improvement Project (RRNSIP), the training was organised by the National Nutritional Agency (NaNA) and their health stakeholders. Its objective was to build the capacity of the health personnel in the area of managing severe acute malnutrition cases at all levels.

Speaking to the Daily Observer at the end of the training, NaNA’s nutrition field officer for Western Region, Malang Janneh disclosed that the participants had completed seven modules of the case management of malnutrition, while indicating that the eighth one covered was on food hygiene and safety.“The modules’ treated during the course of the training were introduction, principle of care, initial management, feed module, daily care, monitoring and problem-solving and involving mothers in care,” he revealed.

Janneh underscored the importance of the involvement of the nurses, saying the idea was meant to enhance their capacities, with a view to enable them reduce mobility and mortality in the country,given the fact that the rate of mortality is “unacceptably high in the country.” “When the nurses’ capacities are built, then it would help in reducing the mobility and mortality rate of infants in the country,” he stated, while urging the nurses to give feedback to their colleagues who were not privileged to take part in the training.

Janneh concluded by commending the World Bank for providing the funds, and also hailed the support received from the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), and the management of the New Serrekunda Hospital for providing the venue.