Nutrition is an important indicator of national development and growth. Evidence substantiates the fact that the first 1000 days of life between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday offers a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and prosperous future.

Academic institutions such as medical colleges can play significant role in developing future champions among doctors and nurses to deliver quality Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) services in public and private health facilities and community.

Understanding the need to build the capacity of doctors and nurses to effectively deliver the MIYCN services, WeCan- IPE Global extended technical support to the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, Government of Jharkhand to roll out a series of trainings to enhance the capacity of the medical staff in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi to create a MIYCN Resource Centre.

The trainings were organized in partnership with Alive and Thrive and Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. In a short span of three months, 14 senior faculty member were trained as master trainers on competency based MIYCN curriculum for medical undergraduates, and 25 doctors and nurses were trained as master trainers on the standard protocols for implementing MIYCN service at point of care.

RIMS has started implementing MIYCN teaching and service delivery at point of care in their Medical College Hospital and is now established as a MIYCN resource centre with trainers, training materials and teaching techniques, which is ready to train faculty members, doctors and nurses from other medical colleges and health facilities in the state.

It is time other medical institutes across the country started similar training, to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for tomorrow’s children.

(WeCan, supported by BMGF, is a national level platform (housed in IPE Global) mandated to strengthen coordination and collaboration between development partners in support of Government efforts to roll out a set of high impact nutrition interventions)

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