NUTRITION SURVEILLANCE

It is an on-going systematic collection, analysis , interpretation

and dissemination of data about nutritional conditions & factors

influencing them.
Provide basis for decisions, immediate action, policy, planning,

management of programs .
A food and nutrition surveillance system is a mechanism to

transfer food and nutrition data into action through formulation,

modification and application of the food and nutrition policy of a
country

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 Some definitions…
Survey: collection of info at one point in time

„ appraisal of available information.

„ Evaluation: process of reaching a judgment „

 Monitoring: continuous observation, here describes activity more

specific than surveillance

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 Implementation:
How do you
do it?
Public Health Approach
Intervention
Evaluation:
What
works?

Risk Factor
Identification:
What is the
cause?
Surveillance:
What
is the
problem?

Problem Response
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 Objectives of NS

to describe the nutritional status of the population, with particular

reference to defined subgroups who are identified as being at risk

 to provide information that contributes to the analysis of causes

and associated factors and therefore permits a selection of

preventive measures, which may or may not be nutritional;

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Cont..

to promote decisions by governments concerning priorities and the

disposal of resources to meet the needs of both “normal

development” and emergencies;
 to enable predictions on the basis of current trends in order to

indicate the probable evolution of nutritional problems.

 to monitor nutritional programs and to evaluate their effectiveness

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 Objectives In emergency settings
A warning system.

This is used as a means of highlighting an evolving crisis

Identification of appropriate response strategies:

These may include non-food as well as food assistance to

address the underlying causes of malnutrition.

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Cont..
Generating a response. Nutrition surveillance systems provide a

trend analysis focusing on the magnitude of change. This may

generate an in-depth assessment, which in turn may lead to a
response.
Targeting. Nutrition information can help target areas that are

more at risk or in greater need of assistance.

Identification of malnourished children. Some forms of

surveillance can identify acutely malnourished children.

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FUNCTIONS

1.National and sectorial planning and policy design.

The role of a surveillance system is to provide continuous
analysis, integration and interpretation of data from multiple
sources, ensuring a systematic flow of information from
different sectors.

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Cont.
2.Program monitoring and evaluation:
The surveillance system includes an information management
system that routinely collects and analyses program- and
population-based indicators and evaluates the success or
failure of such programs.

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Cont..
3.Problem identification and advocacy:
Advocacy can either be undertaken by sectoral groups within the

public sector or by nongovernmental organizations serving

vulnerable group or disadvantaged populations.
It also assists in surveillance systems setting priorities for

targeting resources to the most “needy” people from deprived

communities or subgroups

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 Cont..
4. Timely warning of food shortages
An early-warning system is an efficient tool in disaster

management.
Warning systems routinely analyze multisectoral information (e.g.

food stocks, market prices, agro-ecological factors, food

insecurity) and provide periodic assessments of the risk of central
and local shortages.

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Cont..

5.Monitoring effects of structural adjustment policies

Structural adjustment policies are prescriptions to reduce

government regulations and spending and to increase government
earnings and repayment of international responsibilities

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Types of nutrition surveillance system
„1.Large-scale food and nutrition surveys (DHS, NNS,FSS):
 Frequent surveys such as the Demographic Health Survey,

National Nutrition Survey or National Food Security Surveys

should be considered.

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Cont..
2.Repeated small-scale surveys(national surveys):
 population-based surveys that use standard methods to collect

quantitative and qualitative data.

They assess the type, severity and extent of malnutrition and its

causes among a representative sample of the population (children

and/or adults).

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Cont..
3.Sentinel Site Surveillance.
Refers to the application of epidemiological surveillance to

limited populations or sites to detect trends in health events, or

events that mandate a specific response (e.g. polio outbreaks).
 „ Limited in scope, less costly, less complex, but not

representative

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Cont..
4.School census data:
The objective is to identify high-risk children with poor health,

malnutrition and low socioeconomic status.

 Results can be used to target school feeding programs and

support policymaking in food-based strategies.

The need for monitoring obesity among school-aged children is

becoming more important

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Cont..
5.Growth monitoring:
Its aim is to identify slowing or faltering of growth at the

individual level, and thus help to correct the problem on time.

Growth monitoring can either be conducted by health

professionals at maternal and child health clinics (clinic-based

growth monitoring) or by trained members of the community in
villages (community-based growth monitoring).

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Nutritional Surveillance cycle

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Challenges
To ensure effective links between information and action.

The reliability of data, timeliness of reporting, efficient action

management and sustainability

 A further challenge is interpreting the findings.

Biggest challenges is ensuring effective continuity of the

system

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