Dietician Training

NYF Runs the Only Dietician Training Program in Nepal

In Nepal, nutrition receives very little emphasis in medical education; most people working as dieticians have not received any specific training. The Nepal Youth Foundation has created a completely novel training course that is improving nutrition throughout the country.

The course educates:
• hospital staff who provide food to patients,
• employees of charity organizations that address malnutrition,
• and staff of schools and dormitories who are responsible for feeding children.

The training consists of four broad areas:
• general nutrition,
• dietary management for different age groups (including newborns, children, and the elderly),
• dietary management of people with illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes and hypertension),
• and management of severe malnutrition.

NYF's staff collaborated with nutritionists from the U.S. and the U.K. to develop a completely new training course. The curriculum, which we tailored for the needs of people in diverse areas of Nepal, can be used by other organizations and government agencies.

Our staff working on this project include the coordinator of our nutrition programs nationwide, the manager of the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home in Kathmandu, the manager of the New Life Center, and the nutritionists at these two facilities.

The first training course, held in 2011, was very successful according to everyone involved. The participants returned to their jobs at hospitals and NGOs eager to implement their new knowledge and provide better nutrition to patients.

NYF is following up on the success of the first training by holding subsequent trainings annually. They are hosted by the new flagship Nutritional Rehabilitation Home in Kathmandu, which serves as a nutritional education center as well as a treatment center for malnourished children.