REPORT ON THE CARIBBEAN REGIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION PROJECT

This special evaluation, attached to a PES (PD-AAG-608-A1), covers the period 6/79-11/80 and is based on meetings of a joint USAID/Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) team, including representatives from host country governments. The project continues to progress well; it seems likely that its purpose will be achieved. Significant gains have been made through the Caribbean Community in adopting a regional FN strategy that will necessitate a major expansion of CFNI's role. Some training activities, especially the 3-day seminars for health personnel on diabetes and obesity, have fallen behind schedule but additional seminars and courses are planned in order to meet output targets. CFNI has also greatly increased its capability to produce and distribute educational materials and to provide technical assistance (TA) to member nations in developing national FN programs. Although many countries have enunciated FN policies and nine have adopted formal plans, it has been much more difficult to get commitments for funds and personnel to formulate and implement actual programs. Very few countries have achieved the multisectoral planning and coordination envisioned for the project. It is recommended that the project be extended for 1 year and that additional funds be granted in order to: (1) extend the TA staff and increase member nations' self-sufficiency in designing, implementing, and evaluating national FN programs; (2) finance the final 3-month course in project implementation and an additional course in FN surveillance; (3) provide in-service training for graduates of the community nutrition program; (4) hold a second meeting of the national heads of nutrition units; (5) develop an anemia-specific intervention and develop a regional strategy for anemia reduction; (6) update the strategy for control of diarrheal disease and malnutrition, especially among children; and (7) support continued CFNI distribution of prototype educational materials which can be locally reproduced.