The purpose of the course is to equip the learner with knowledge, skills and attitude in nutrition necessary for nursing and midwifery care provision to individual, families and communities.

Concepts of Nutrition and Health: Definition of terms; Historical development; Role of Nutrition in promotion of health and disease prevention; Essential nutrients for human growth and development. 

Principles of Diet Planning: Definition of balanced diet and diet planning; Description of a healthy diet; Importance of Diet Planning; Factors Influencing Diet Planning; Principles in diet preparation; Concepts of food preparation and handling; food budgeting and purchasing. 

Nutritional status assessment: Definition; purpose of nutritional assessment; methods of nutritional status assessment; Assessment and interventions in emergency nutrition response. 

Nutrition requirements along the lifecycle: Pregnancy and lactation; infancy and childhood; teenage and adolescence; adulthood; geriatrics. 

Nutrient Deficiency Disorders: Definition of malnutrition and related terms; Causes of malnutrition; pathophysiology of Nutrition deficiency disorders; Nutritional management of various conditions: Therapeutic diets in patient care; Modes of feeding.

Community Nutrition: Socio-cultural influences on nutrition; strategies to promote nutrition at community level; Nutrition in emergencies; general food distribution, supplementary feeding programs, therapeutic feeding programs.