A two-week nutrition training program was recently held at the Tinsley Conference Room in Baiyer, equipping 21 Village Health Assistants (VHAs) and 18 Healthcare Workers from Baptistrun health facilities across the Mul Baiyer District with vital skills to tackle malnutrition.
Malnutrition is seen as a pressing issue in the district, and this training was a major step toward strengthening community health services and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.
The training, held from January 12 to 23, 2026, was organized by the Baptist Union of PNG (BUPNG) in partnership with the Western Highlands PHA.
WHPHA’s Provincial Nutrition Officer, Mary Rex, facilitated the sessions for the first time in the district after a request from the BUPNG to strengthen nutrition knowledge among healthcare workers and VHAs.
The first week (January 12th to 16th) was focused on VHAs, while the second week (January 19th to 23rd) was dedicated to healthcare workers. Both groups were awarded Certificates of Participation in Nutrition, printed and issued by BUPNG.
According to Ms. Rex, the training was aimed at reducing stunting and improving health outcomes by equipping participants with knowledge on Infant and Young Child Feeding and the management of different forms of malnutrition.
“To reduce stunted population, the VHAs were trained and encouraged on best practices of infant and young child feeding, detecting acute malnutrition, and advocating for antenatal clinic attendance, family planning, teenage pregnancy prevention, and hygiene practices,” she explained.
Topics covered included nutrition during pregnancy, early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding practices, infant feeding in the context of HIV/AIDS, counselling skills, malnutrition detection using MUAC tapes, adolescent nutrition services, micronutrient supplementation, iodine promotion, and cooking demonstrations. The training also emphasized the role of fathers in family planning and child care.
Ms. Rex highlighted the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from conception to age two, as critical for brain, body, and immune system development. “It is important for a mother to feed the child correctly from birth to age two, because this determines whether the child will grow up prosperous and healthy,” she said.
Certified VHAs will now work alongside health facility staff to conduct active case finding and referrals, sensitize communities on malnutrition prevention, and follow up on infants and children under treatment. Healthcare workers are better equipped to manage acute malnutrition cases and provide specialized care for nutritionally vulnerable infants.
This first nutrition training in Baiyer marks a significant step toward strengthening communitybased nutrition services under the Baptist Church Health Services, ensuring healthier futures for children and families in the Western Highlands.
