Nutritionist training launched to improve diets for NCD patients

…as over 20,000 Guyanese living with diabetes & hypertension

The Health Ministry has launched a training programme for nutrition technicians who will be deployed across health institutions nationwide to promote healthier diets among patients living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
This initiative reflects the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of the healthcare system to prevent disease, address nutrition-related issues, and promote healthier communities across Guyana.

The programme is being run by three departments within the Health Ministry and combines elements of health sciences. Staff from these three areas collaborated to develop the curriculum.
Currently, 20 persons are enrolled in the new Community Nutrition Technician Training Programme developed by the Ministry of Health.
The programme will run for six months and intends to equip trainees with the knowledge needed to guide patients with non-communicable diseases on making better dietary choices.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, while speaking at the launch on Monday at the ministry’s boardroom, explained that the ministry recognized a critical gap in training related to managing chronic diseases, which led to the development of the collaborative programme.
He noted that over the years, the ministry’s Food Policy Division had provided training to individuals in specific skill areas. However, he said the evolving health challenges within society require a more integrated approach that combines those skills with current public health needs.
Anthony stated that the ministry therefore saw the need for a programme that would better prepare individuals to work within health centers alongside medical teams to assist in the management of chronic diseases.

Occur together
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, he referenced data showing that Guyana currently has more than 20,000 people living with diabetes, with a similar number affected by both diabetes and hypertension.
According to the minister, these chronic conditions often occur together and, if not properly managed, can lead to serious complications for patients.
As he turned his message directly to the students who are a part of the program he highlighted to them about the challenging but important task of improving nutrition among citizens.
“Now your job, when we finish training you, is not going to be an easy one. Because we have found that when we try to change people’s attitudes and behaviors, that is very difficult. So if for someone’s whole lifetime they have been socialized to eat a certain way, and now that they are getting sick or they are coming to the health center and we see that they are at risk for a certain disease, trying to change that mindset can be extremely difficult.
“So apart from knowing the technical things, you must make sure that you work with them very closely so that they can adhere to the advice you are giving them. And that is extremely important,” he said.
The programme will also address diets that promote heart health and help persons with diabetes control their sugar levels.
“So if we know these foods are promoting inflammation, then why don’t we minimise them or remove them from our diet? But it’s not as easy as that, because you have to know which ones to take out of your diet. One of the things they will be talking to you about is these types of foods and how we can reduce inflammation,” Dr. Anthony said.
He added that many people also suffer from heart disease and other chronic illnesses that are linked to poor dietary habits.

The ultimate goal, the health minister emphasized, is to better manage patients with non-communicable diseases.
“So a lot of the chronic non-communicable diseases that we talk about — the very common ones like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure — can be prevented or their onset delayed if we use the right diet. In some studies, they have shown that even if you have conditions like diabetes, with the right type of diet you can actually reverse some of the changes that would have occurred in the body. So diet is very important, and that has been missing from the conversation.”
Anthony also underscored the importance of the trainees themselves leading healthier lifestyles.
“And we need you, as the class that is now starting this programme, to be examples. Because you cannot tell people to eat properly and practise healthy habits if you are not doing so yourself.
“You have to practise what you have learned. You have to be the embodiment of the healthier society we are trying to promote. If you are practicing it, you will be more convincing and better able to persuade others to adopt these habits.
“So as you go through the course, one of the things we want you to do is start practising. You have to internalize this so that you can give good advice to the patients,” he said.
Also present at the launch were Director of Family and Primary Health Care Services, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton; Director of the Health Sciences Education Division, Dr. Chandrountie Persaud; Director of Non-Communicable Diseases, Dr. Latchmie Lall;, Director of Food Policy (ag), Gillian Trim; Health Education Officer, Kim Bristol; and Senior Health Education Officer, Georgel Abrams.