Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative (NFSI)

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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative (NFSI)

In partnership between EDC, FAO, SCN, UNESCO,
UNICEF, World Bank,WFP and WHO Ulla
Uusitalo WHO Department of Nutrition for Health
and Development
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

• Originally developed as a follow-up to the WHO
  Expert Meeting on Childhood Obesity in Kobe
  (2005)
• ? double-burden of malnutrition should be
  addressed also in school nutrition programmes
• A brainstorming meeting in Montreux, Feb. 2006,
  among partners (EDC, FAO, SCN, WFP and WHO)
• ? reviewed ongoing school based nutrition
  programmes
• ? reviewed evidence base
• ? developed the NFSI framework

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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

• OBJECTIVES
• - Provide a framework for school-based
  intervention programmes which address the double
  burden of nutrition-related ill health
• - Serve as a mechanism for inter-connecting the
  various on-going school-based intervention
  programmes

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Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative
NFSI

• EXPECTED OUTCOME OF NFSI
• To increase the number of schools that
• 1. Provide an enabling environment that
  contributes to the health and nutritional
  well-being of children
• 2. Have close links with parents, local community
  and health services

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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

Concept and principles UNICEF / WHO Baby
Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
Global Award Plaque
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Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative
NFSI
A school will be entitled

• NUTRITION-FRIENDLY SCHOOL

after fulfilling 22 Essential Criteria within
five core components
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

The core components
1. Having a written Nutrition-Friendly Schools
policy 2. Enhancing awareness and capacity
building of the school community 3. Developing
a nutrition and health-promoting school
curriculum 4. Creating a supportive school
environment 5. Providing supportive school
nutrition and health services
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• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

NFSI
22 essential criteria
1. Having a written Nutrition-Friendly School
policy 2. Enhancing awareness and capacity
building of the school community 3. Developing
a nutrition and health-promoting school
curriculum 4. Creating a supportive school
environment 5. Providing supportive school
nutrition and health services
1 essential criteria
3 essential criteria
4 essential criteria
11 essential criteria
3 essential criteria
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• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

NFSI
The process
Form a core action group
Conduct self-appraisal (SAT) I
Action plan and implementation
Conduct self-appraisal (SAT) II
Conduct an external evaluation
Global Award Plaque
Accredited
Certificate of commitment
External re-evaluation
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

What is specific to NFSI? ? NFSI addresses all
forms of malnutrition ? NFSI uses a global
standardized evaluation and accreditation
scheme ? NFSI has a strong focus on
developing supportive school environment which
promotes nutrition and physical activity
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

NFSI Pilot-testing countries - Brazil, Canada,
Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Greece,
Grenada, India, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia,
Switzerland, Uganda, (Hungary and Latvia).
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

PILOT-TEST OF THE NFSI Main outcomes and
issues ? support needed in the beginning of the
implementation (technical and financial
resources), also suggested that local partnership
should be formed for further support ? curriculum
changes may be a challenge ? poor infrastructure
may delay the implementation of the initiative ?
creating a NFSI Info Website was suggested for
developing a global network ? in general,
comments were positive, and countries were
interested in implementation of the NFSI
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• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative (NFSI)

NFSI
How NFSI related to the Global Strategy on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health a School Policy
Framework (SPF)? ? SPF focuses on governmental
level policy action whereas NFSI focuses on a
school-level policy implementation ?
The focus of SPF is to prevent and control
childhood overweight and obesity while NFSI
addresses all forms of malnutrition
(undernutrition, micronutrient malnutrition,
overweight/obesity) ? SPF and NFSI are
complementary
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NFSI

• Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative

Contact the NFSI Team at NFSI_at_who.int GOOGLE
" WHO NFSI "