MBABANE – Two national workshops have been conducted to improve how health workers respond to acute malnutrition in Eswatini, with the Eswatini National Nutrition Council (ENNC) taking the lead.
The sessions, held under a UNICEF Japan-funded project aimed at supporting vulnerable children and women affected by food insecurity, brought together stakeholders from government and non-governmental organisations.
The first workshop focused on developing training materials for a forthcoming Training of Trainers (ToT) programme. This training is designed for CMIS (Client Management Information System) champions within health care facilities across the country. The workshop stressed the need for reliable and up-to-date data to support quicker decisions in the management of malnutrition cases. 
Officials from the Ministry of Health participated through its programmes including the Health Management Information System (HMIS), Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI), and the Epidemiology Disease Control Unit (EDCU). The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society (BERCS) also contributed to the discussions.
The second session brought together nutrition focal nurses from all four regions, alongside stakeholders from IMNCI, BERCS, and Siphilile Maternal and Child Health. The aim was to plan and structure content for the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme, a key intervention in reducing child mortality caused by poor nutrition.
