New data help formulate strategy v Oman's role in NGC study hailed
Muscat - Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa, Minister of Health, yesterday presided at the opening of a regional workshop, which introduced the new World Health Organisation (WHO) child growth curves in countries falling under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO).
Hosted by the Ministry of Health (MoH), the three-day technical workshop is designed to develop a regional plan of action for the implementation of the new growth curves (NGC) and provide orientation to national nutrition health programme managers about the latest trends on the concept.
Framed by six countries representing the continents of the world, the NGC provides a more accurate reference since the study looked into how children should grow in an ideal situation. Commenting on the event, Dr Moosa stressed the importance of NGC in identifying health problems faced by children at an early stage, particularly the ones that show up during the child's growth curve.
"Initially, data on child growth curve was based on reference of a single country. But with the newly introduced growth curve framed on global references on samples of children from six countries representing the continents of the world, NGC will play a significant role in monitoring the growth of a child on global reference in which the Sultanate actively participated."
Considering the fact that the problem of malnutrition among children under five years of age exists in the Sultanate, the ministry, in co-ordination with other governmental institutions is making serious efforts to reduce the problem of malnutrition. By the end of the current Five-Year Plan, the ministry aims to reduce the number to 10 cases as compared to the present figure of 15, he said in remarks to the Observer.
Participants at the workshop include representatives from international organisations such as the WHO -- EMRO, Unicef -- Middle East and North Africa Regional Office (MENARO), the World Food Programme -- Regional Bureau for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Central Africa and delegates from 14 other countries. Speaking on behalf of the Regional Director, WHO -- EMRO, Dr Fattah Assamani, WHO Representative in the Sultanate, commended the effort of MoH in hosting the workshop and its role in the development of NGC. He also hailed the joint effort of countries and partner organisations that participated in the study.
"Assessing a child's growth is the most valuable and useful tool to assuage how the basic physical and developmental needs are met. Although growth assessment by itself is insufficient as a part of a package of infant and childcare services, assessment of physical development still remains a critical issue in which appropriate growth references are relied upon for assessing child health. It is also important for planning an intervention and to monitor the effectiveness of such efforts," Dr Assamani said.
In response to WHO recommendations to develop the new standard for infant and child growth, the WHO embarked on a multi-centre growth study (MGRS) to provide data on how infants and young children grow. The study included several health behaviour that are consistent with the health promotion recommendations like infant and young child nutrition and maternal nutrition, he said.
"By replacing the present international reference, that is based on data from a single country, with data based on children from six continents, we could determine how growth could proceed amidst diversity and variations in population groups," he remarked. Dr Mihandra Sheth, Regional Health Adviser for Unicef-MENARO said: "Child nutrition is not only a challenge in developing countries in our region but also a problem in developed countries both in terms of malnutrition and obesity. The NGC will significantly monitor and enhance responses to this complex problem in the Middle East and North African countries and the world over," he said. Dr Sheth lauded the Sultanate's role in the development of NGC.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Ali Jaffar, Director-General of Health Affairs, stressed the importance of NGC in developing the mental and physical health of a child as well as the related developmental stages. An international consultancy group drafted firm conditions to conduct a study on "an international child growth curve" which represents various regions of the world. The Sultanate had the honour of being one of six countries in the northern hemisphere to conduct the study. The countries are the United States, Norway in Europe, Brazil in Latin America, India in Asia, Gana in Africa and the Sultanate of Oman in the Middle East and North Africa.
Oman's success in conducting the five-year study is credited to all of the Health Ministry's personnel. In carrying out the study, the ministry has had the conviction that the mere absence of illness is not necessarily an indication of good health. The ministry is therefore concerns itself with a progressive programme of improving child health at all levels, including physical and mental health. Mothers in particular are urged to follow up the growth of their children by helping cut down problems of malnutrition in infants below five to 10 per cent by the end of the Seventh Five-Year Plan from the current percentage of 18 per cent.
The workshop urged health officials to establish a strong collaboration to ensure that the challenges of introducing an effective NGC are overcome. The workshop will discuss the impact of early growth on health, the WHO multi-centre growth reference study, the latest child growth standards and the country experiences in the use of growth charts. The workshop will also highlight the importance of growth charts in emergencies and growth monitoring -- an instrument in the context of child survival and millennium development goals.
By Maryam Khalfan
© Oman Daily Observer 2005
