Mission Statement

The Nutrition Unit is committed to improving the nutritional status of and promoting sound nutrition behaviours in the population through effective nutrition screening and surveillance; nutrition intervention, education, promotion and training programmes; and to facilitating patient control of and recovery and rehabilitation from disease through the delivery of quality nutrition and dietetic service as an integral part of health service.

Vision Statement

Individuals, families and communities with equal access to quality nutrition care and empowered to increase their access to a consistent supply of safe and nutritious food; and to improve their nutrition behaviour and patterns of activity for better nutritional status, health, human and economic development.

Objectives

Consistent with its five-year strategic plan 2005 - 2009 the general objectives of the Nutrition Unit in the Ministry of Health and the Environment are:

  1. To measure and monitor nutritional status and other key nutrition indicators in vulnerable population groups to guide the planning, delivery and impact evaluation of nutrition programmes and dietetic service.
  2. To develop and implement effective nutrition intervention programmes aimed at preventing and managing nutrition-related health conditions in vulnerable population groups.
  3. To develop and implement nutrition information, education and promotion programmes aimed at improving food and nutrition security and alleviating poverty.
  4. To develop and implement curriculum-based and in-service training programmes in food, nutrition and dietetics.
  5. To provide quality dietetic service aimed at preventing and managing nutrition-related health conditions at the individual level.
  6. To strengthen the capacity to plan, implement and evaluate nutrition programmes and projects; and to manage and coordinate the delivery of dietetic service through the provision of appropriate organisational frameworks, management systems and adequate human, technical, financial and other resources.