The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Region Four Health Department, on Monday launched the Guyana Re-aligning Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health (‘GRAIN-H’) programme.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the programme, which was launched at the Herdmanston Lodge, was developed to help improve the physical, psychosocial, and cultural health status of residents in Region Four – Demerara-Mahaica, through the use of sustainable domestic agricultural practices.
Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, with responsibility for Rural Affairs, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, in delivering the keynote address at the opening, said that the Ministry welcomed the convergence of ideas to address the objectives of the agriculture and health sectors.
“Programmes of this nature are a clear demonstration of the sound and cogent direction that government has set out for the development of this country. We continue to see sectors recognising that such collaborations allow for the achievement of unique successes that will benefit all Guyanese. This effort is a true primary health care initiative, where participants would be taught to view food as their medicine in terms of both its nutritional content, as well as how it is prepared and consumed to ensure it was healthy,” Adams-Yearwood said.
The programme’s pilot project, which is expected to conclude in December 2019, will target persons registered at the 31 Health Centres in Region Four, more specifically members of the non-communicable disease (NCD), geriatric and ante-natal clinics.
The Ministry of Public Health, will be
given technical support from the Ministry of Agriculture to establish demonstration kitchen garden plots at each health centre participating in the project.
Adams-Yearwood added that ‘GRAIN-H’ will also provide participants with the necessary information and skills to procure, grow and consume appropriate diets.
Region Four’s Regional Health Officer, Dr Quincy Jones, echoed the minister’s remarks while adding that the programme also hopes to fill the identifiable gaps in the average nutrient balance in meals currently prepared and consumed.
“Nutritional problems broadly fall into two categories, those resulting from insufficient intake relative to nutritional needs and those resulting from excessive and unbalanced intake of food. In Guyana, the principal problem is the second group, notwithstanding insufficient intake relative to nutritional needs is still a real challenge. Such behavioural change would improve family food supplies and more efficient use of home grown and locally available foods,” Dr Jones said.
A baseline health profile will be generated for each participant, identifying their nutritional needs. Additionally, participants will be taught the necessary guidelines on how to maintain balanced diets and proper food preparation techniques, the release added.
