OBJECTIVES: to examine the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (Sisvan) as a tool for monitoring the National Strategy for Healthy Complementary Nutrition (ENPACS) in the 40 municipalities overseen by the Belo Horizonte regional superintendent for health (SRS-BH). METHODS: a descriptive study was carried out involving all children aged under two being accompanied by the Sisvan Web between 2008 and 2011. The coverage of the Sisvan Web was calculated by dividing the number of children aged under two years accompanied by the Sisvan Web by the total population for the same age group. A questionnaire relating to the technical references of the Sisvan of the municipalities under investigation was sent to collect information on the functioning of the Sisvan. RESULTS: the coverage of the Sisvan Web, in all municipalities, varied from 4.3% (2008) to 10.7% (2011). The questionnaire was answered by 38 municipalities in the SRS-BH, 31.6% of whom reported using data from the Sisvan Web system as a basis for nutritional interventions. CONCLUSIONS: the study identified low coverage, poor utilization of data and the need to improve the Sisvan, in order to generate consistent information on nutrition and food among children aged under two years, thereby making it appropriate for monitoring of the ENPACS.
Nutrition assessment; Food consumption; Infant; Information systems; Nutritional surveillance
