|
National Workshop on Adoption of New WHO
Child Growth Standards, 8th-9th Feb 2007, India Habitat
Center, New Delhi
A National level
workshop on “Adoption of New WHO Child Growth Standards” was organized on the
8th-9th Feb., 2007 at the India
Habitat Center,
New Delhi. It
was hosted jointly by the Ministries of Women and Child Development and
Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in collaboration with Unicef and WHO- India Country Office. The participants included policy makers,
senior officials from both the ministries, academia, and representatives from training and
research institutions such as the Indian Council of Medical Research,
National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, National Institute of
Nutrition & professional organizations like Indian Academy of Pediatrics,
Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, Indian Public Health
Association, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, Trained Nurses
Association of India etc.
The objectives of the workshop were manifold:
 To share a technical update on the new WHO
Child Growth Standards
To identify strategic options for updating and
harmonizing the use of child growth standards in ICDS and NRHM
To analyze the issues and implications of
different options viz IAP vs. Z score
classification for growth monitoring
To evolve a consensus for adoption of the new
WHO Growth Standards in the 11th Plan.
To recommend action for using this opportunity
to strengthen growth monitoring and promotion for enhanced young child
survival, growth and development.
The workshop covered
a host of topics pertaining to the given objectives. A specific technical
session highlighting “The new WHO Growth Standards” was supported by WHO and
included the following presentations:
The New WHO Child Growth Standards: Evolution,
Concepts and Global Overview
Implementation of the Multi-centric Growth
Reference Study in India
Current Use of Child Growth Standards in
India.
The workshop concluded with the following set of
recommendations:
A national consensus and agreement emerged for
adopting the new WHO Child Growth Standards across the country for use within
ICDS, NRHM and by the professional bodies (IMA, IAP, NNF, TNAI, IAPSM, etc)
and institutions (ICMR, NIN, NIPCCD, NIHFW) for monitoring and promotion of
young child growth and development as well as for research.
With a view to adopting the new Child Growth
Standards, it was recommended that National and State level Multi-Sectoral Task Forces be formed with clear terms of reference.
The National Roll Out Plan to ensure
development of guidelines for State Plans, training modules, prototype growth
charts and community charts, mother child protection card.
Mother Child Protection Card package, with
state specific adaptation, to be used nationwide in both ICDS and NRHM
The State Roll out plans to cover all aspects
of implementing the new growth standards including capacity building,
supplies, budgeting and management issues.
The budget to be allocated under the relevant programmes – ICDS, NRHM, Medical and Nursing Education
among others for implementing the roll out plan of the weight for age
component of the growth standards as
well as for action research on the other variables - height for age, height
for weight and BMI in collaboration with professional bodies
The new growth standards to be incorporated in
all institutional trainings – induction and in-service eg.
Medical Colleges, Nursing, ANM and AWW Training schools among others as well
as all relevant courses conducted by the public sector, private and
semi-private institutions.
The training on the growth charts to be an
integral component of ICDS and NRHM Training. A joint training of
functionaries of both departments to be reintroduced. A certificate to be
issued on completion of the training.
Based on the outcome of this workshop, a road
map to be finalized by the Ministry of Women and Child along with the
Ministry of Health, professional bodies, UNICEF and WHO and shared with all
the States, the Planning Commission, the Finance Ministry and the PMO
incorporating the adoption of the Growth Standards through the Roll Out Plans
as one important component towards ‘Reduction of Under-nutrition in Children
of India and ICDS Universalization with Quality’.
|
