Training program for conducting survey of 6-month-old children at 84 communes of Ha Nam province

26/04/2019, RTCCD center in coordination with Ha Nam Provincial Center for Disease Control organized a training course for nearly 100 health workers from 84 commune health stations and district health centers on conducting survey of 6-month-old children. This activity is a part of a project called “The first 1000 days of life” organized by RTCCD center, Department of Children-Mother Health, Monash University and Melbourne University. The project is also supported by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council Australia (NHMRC).

The purpose of this training course is to provide health workers with instruction on using the community investigation tools to conduct survey on 6-month-old children as well as to successfully assess parents’ behavioral change and child development indicators. The objective of the survey of 6-month-old children is to answer the following questions:

• To what extent do the interventions from the First 1000 days learning club affect maternal behavioral in neonatal care (comparison between control and intervention)?
• What effect does the First 1000-day club model have on the fathers’ behavior in childcare and the support for mothers after birth?
• What are the main factors affecting the low level of breastfeeding in Ha Nam and the decision to use infant formula?
• Percentage of children being weaned as recommended by the World Health Organization?
• Percentage of illness in newborns comparing between intervention and control?
• Percentage of mothers with depression and anxiety after birth?

This activity is one of the efforts within the long-term plan for comprehensive early childhood development (ECD). Its intension is to confirm that the intervention model of the First 1000 days Learning Club in Vietnam has a positive impact on children development and parents behavior (parenting skill education). Up to now, the Club has received supportive responses from parents and grandparents in rural areas and has shown the ability to match the needs of parents in urban areas.

Dr Vu Thi Lan – CDC Ha Nam – opening remarks for the training course

Ms Tran Ha – deputy director of RTCCD and project manager – providing technical guidance for health workers.

Group discussion and pair discussion