During the course, students are also exposed to the various contemporary issues that are of critical importance for the attainment of sound nutritional health, the role of nutrition within the broader framework of primary health care and in use of various conceptual models to guide selection of intervention modes in the community.
Contemporary issues of interest in food and nutrition at the global and regional levels are also discussed as examples relevant to the national and community levels of the country. The practical component of the course provides hands-on experience in need assessment activities, compilation and analysis of resultant data to determine the nutritional status of a given community, and the analysis of existing data to determine the trends in the nutrition situation, e.g. in the food supply, and the likely impact on nutritional status of the community. Students develop relevant and appropriate intervention activities, including nutrition education and development of IEC materials (using relevant computer software) for community nutritional health promotion