The National Social Assistance Fund (NSAF) is set to complete the training of local officials on the “Maternal, Infant Health and Nutrition Education Guidelines” in early June, with the training projected to have covered 80 per cent of communes nationwide.
NSAF director-general Chhour Sopanha said the courses were attended by all local officials who will be responsible for the Cash Transfer Programme for pregnant women and children under two years of age.
He explained that the first purpose of the training is to disseminate the new programme, and the second is to train local officials to understand how to change the behaviour of beneficiaries so that they utilise the payments to ensure their children meet the government’s nutritional goals. Finally, the officials have been taught how to promote healthcare to pregnant women.
“The training is important, as it gives the officials who will implement and manage the system the tools they need to encourage its beneficiaries to take care of their own health and that of their children,” he added.
He noted that the trainings have been underway for almost a month, and covered around 80 per cent of communes across the Kingdom. The NSAF plans to complete the training of local officials in all provinces in early June.
“Since the implementation of the cash support programme for pregnant women and children under 2, there have been more than 310,000 beneficiaries, including 200,000 women and 110,000 children under 2,” said Sopanha.
