nutrition
workers
planning.
to
help
The
those
same office wiil
who
want
to
grow
train food production
vegetables
for
their
field
family
consumption.
The Community Action Agency, a private organization, offers a family
nutrition education demonstration program. They also offer an aging program
which is primarily nutrition related.
The Department of Education has a health education program for all 10th
grade students
that
includes
a nutrition
component.
It
also provides
breakfast and lunch to all elemnentary and high school students and supper
to boarding students at Marshall Island High School
High School.
in Majuro and Jaluit
The Head Start Program offers breakfast, lunch, and a snack to
children in that program.
They also offer weekly meetings with parents to
teach them about nutrition, child development, child health, etc.
It is
difficult to assess the impact of these programs.
Recommendations
1.
Maintain a nutritionist as a regular component of the division of
Primary Care
with
responsibilities
for
evaluation,
education
promotion of nutrition programs.
2.
and
.
Collect basic nutrition data so it can be evaluated and utilized in
health planning.
3.
Develop inservice education for health workers on the role nutrition
plays, along with appropriate recommendations, in childhood diseases,
pregnancy, hypertension and diabetes.
4.
Develop community nutrition materials and programs for use over the
radio and through community groups.
5.
Encourage more research and development into food production methods
appropriate
for
the
atoll]
environment.
Included
should
be
coordination of nutritionists and agriculturists to introduce more
fruits and vegetables into the diet.
Recommendations for improving
food production are on file at Loma Linda University.
7.
Social Problems
In an attempt to meet the needs of the Marshallese people, services are
provided by the Governments of the Marshall Islands and the United States,
church
groups
and
leaders,
outside professional
volunteers working in special projects.
15
consultants,
and
local