Cambodia’s first transitional guidelines on monitoring and promoting the development of children under the age of 5 is launched at a national workshop on October 27. HELEN KELLER INTERNATIONAL-CAMBODIA
The Ministry of Health and the National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHC) jointly launched Cambodia’s first transitional guidelines on monitoring and promoting the development of children under the age of 5.
The launch came on October 27 at a national workshop in Phnom Penh attended by relevant ministries and institutions, national and international development partners, and civil society organisations.
The NGO Helen Keller International Cambodia said the workshop aimed to provide insight into monitoring and promoting child development in the age group with systemic, standard and clear-cut methods.
It added that the purpose of the workshop was to disseminate the guidelines to care service providers, relevant ministries and development partners for their implementation.
“The forum created a group discussion with care providers, relevant ministries and development partners to effectively implement the guidelines for the purpose of operating in line with main indicators of transitional guidelines on monitoring and promoting child development under five years of age,” it said.
NMCHC deputy director Keo Muoy Sroy said this was the first time that the health ministry, through the National Nutrition Programme, has launched such transitional guidelines.
He said the workshop had helped coordinate the effective implementation of a programme for the monitoring and promoting of child development in the age group.
“Health staff at all levels have worked hard and achieved commendable results. We have respected all the provisions and policies regarding nutrition, focusing mainly on babies from birth to two years old.
“The first five years of life is important for development of infants, especially the first 1,000 days [from the moment of conception to two years old].
“Children represent the development of the economy and society as a whole, and are the very future of Cambodia, so we have to guarantee their health and nutrition,” Muoy Sroy said.
According to Helen Keller research, infants in Kandal province are consuming unhealthy foods and drinks at an increasing rate, with more than 45 per cent of infants aged 10 to 14 months doing so.
This rose to 79 per cent among infants aged 15 to 19 months. Sweet condensed milk and cakes were the unhealthy foods and drinks most consumed, it showed.
