Poster Reference Number : PO2414

1. Hajeebhoy, N1; Nguyen, PH2; Tran, DT3; Tuyen DL3; and de Onis, M41Family Health International (FHI 360), Hanoi, Vietnam, 2International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Hanoi, Vietnam, 3National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam, 4Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES IYCF information in National Nutrition Surveillance Profile of Viet Nam, 2010 • Background: A comprehensive set of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators exists but is not widely used hampering collection of comparable data on IYCF practices. Vietnam is one of the few countries to have incorporated the 2008 WHO-IYCF indicators into the National Nutrition Surveillance System (NNSS) since 2010. • Objectives: • Describe the process followed to incorporate IYCF indicators into Vietnam’s National Nutrition Surveillance System • Share lessons learned from the experience and provide recommendations to enable countries to fully integrate these indicators while ensuring data reliability. IntroducingInfant and Young ChildFeedingIndicatorsintoNationalNutritionSurveillanceSystems: Lessonsfrom Vietnam METHODS Map of Minimum Acceptable Diet Infant Feeding Practices by Age Group DATA UTILISATION & KEY LESSONS LEARNT • Data have been used for (1) monitoring anthropometry and IYCF trends over place and time, (2) policy advocacy (e.g. maternity leave legislation, advertisement law), (3) planning at national and provincial levels, and (4) capacity building. • Incorporation of the WHO-IYCF indicators into the NNSS has generated state-of-the-art data, which have been applied extensively in various ways –enabling policy change, sensitizing decision makers to increase investments in IYCF, providing an evidence base for planning, and giving health workers a good understanding of national IYCF priorities. • Successful countrywide adoption of the new indicators requires strategic timing and systematic phasing. • Success is equally contingent on the capacity of the data collection system, and how and when and by whom the data are used. • Guidelines are needed on frequency of collecting national anthropometric and IYCF data. Process of introducinginfant and youngchildfeedingindicatorsintotheNationalNutritionSurveillanceSystem in VietNam CONCLUSIONS • IYCF indicators exist, but because they are not widely used collection of comparable data and development of a global evidence base are hampered. • Strategic timing, a phased approach, buy-in from key stakeholders and capacity building were critical to incorporation of the WHO-IYCF indicators in the National Nutrition Surveillance System in Vietnam. • The surveillance system will continue to be strengthened through improving sampling methodology, instituting quality assurance systems and streamlining data collection, analysis and approval processes. KEY WORDS Infant feeding, nutrition, surveillance, IYCF indicators, Vietnam Poster Reference Number: PO2414