The National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in collaboration with the Central River Region Regional Health Management Team, recently concluded a week-long training for village support groups (VSGS) under the Baby Friendly Community Initiative in CRR North and South.

The initiative, established in twenty communities within CRR by NaNA and funded by UNICEF, aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of infants and mothers in the region and to encourage women to consume an adequate and appropriate diet during pregnancy and lactation as well as to introduce complementary foods using a variety of locally available foods at the age of six months.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alpha Mballow, the NaNA regional officer said the role of the village support groups is to ensure that their communities have an enabling environment for mothers to practice optimal infant feeding especially breast feeding. He noted that the groups will also disseminate information on maternal and infant nutrition, personal hygiene, food hygiene and safety, to mothers and other care givers in their community.

He said the village support groups will give the necessary support to the pregnant and lactating mothers to encourage them practice optimal infant feeding.