Food and nutrition surveillance: a methodology for use in small developing Caribbean territories, part 1 - a methodological approach to surveillance

Food and Nutrition Surveillance implies the continuous monitoring of factors relating to food supply, food demand and marketing, food consumption and the ensuing nutritional status of the population. By monitoring data at key points in the food chain, it should be possible to achieve an 'early warning system' of changes likely to affect the vulnerable (and marginal) groups within the community. This paper describes an attempt to produce a methodology for food and nutrition surveillance appropriate to small developing economies in the Commonwealth Caribbean. It introduces the concepts used to develop a pilot surveillance system in the East Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis

Food and nutrition surveillance: a methodology for use in small developing Caribbean territories part 2: establishment of pilot project in St. Kitts-Nevis

This paper gives an account of the actual establishment of the pilot scheme, showing how the process of collecting, analysing and evaluating surveillance data can quickly define trends affecting the "quality of life" (including nutritional status) of groups of people in St. Kitts-Nevis. The simplest method of monitoring this is by a series of graphs and control charts - regularly updated - which have warning and action limits clearly marked in each case. The need for an effective policy-making machinery to monitor these findings, and to deal with any food and nutrition crisis, is an underlying theme to this paper. The importance of sharing analysed data with local field workers has also been stressed