Integrated Multisectoral Nutrition Intervention at the Community Level

On March 5, 1976, during a session of the Higher Council for Socioeconomic Policy, the Government of Colombia formally approved the National Food and Nutrition Plan (NFNP) and explicitly made it an essential component of its strategy for development. In 1976 Colombia began the implementation of the NFNP with a set of integrated programs specifically designed for combating malnutrition in the population with the lowest income. The design and implementation of an NFNP was without precedent, since it was the first time that food and nutrition had been a part of the national development policy of Colombia. To implement the plan, the government had to mobilize administrative personnel, institutions, and a budget (1). By 1975, the following conditions had been achieved to facilitate implementation of the NFNP (1): Trained personnel with experience in the scientific and administrative fields related to nutrition were available. A preliminary diagnosis had been made of the nutritional status of the target population (2) and research had been done on its relationship to global availability of foods. Research on primary health care and new models for health care delivery had been developed (3,4). There was institutional experience in logistics and administration for the distribution of food to communities and in the operation of nutritional recuperation centers (5,6). There had been preliminary experiences in multisectoral nutrition programs (PINA) (2). Technology was available for the production of high-protein foods at reasonable cost. There was international support for food programs in terms of financial resources, equipment, and technicians.