A strategic meeting was held at the Faculty of Health of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) between the administrative coordinator of the food bank, Gladys Rocío Ramírez Jurado, and the team of professors from the Nutrition and Dietetics program, Martha Lucía Cáceres Jerez, Ana Paola Mora Vergara, Katherin Castro Ríos, and Maura Liliana Romero Pérez—along with student interns Luisa Ariza Ortega, Daniela Alejandra Lizcano Garcés, and Sergio Alejandro Suárez Contreras.
The purpose of the meeting was to identify opportunities for joint work in research, outreach, and social projection, aimed at strengthening food and nutritional security in the region. From its fundamental role as a leading academic unit in training, research, and technical advice in nutrition, the School of Nutrition and Dietetics reaffirms its commitment to generating scientific evidence and concrete actions that contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policy in this area.
Among the priority areas of work is conducting health and hygiene assessments in foundations where projects such as healthy breakfasts and “milk cups” are carried out.
Likewise, the anthropometric evaluation of beneficiary children, in order to identify cases at risk of malnutrition in a timely manner and structure intervention plans, and the development of community training processes and the collection of information on native foods in the region, coordinated with the agricultural surplus recovery strategy (REAGRO) that is being carried out in different villages in the department.
Likewise, it was agreed to create a project bank that would allow for the prioritization and joint execution of initiatives, integrating the scientific knowledge, technical capacity, and laboratories of the University with the contribution of fruits and vegetables managed by the food bank. This institutional synergy consolidates a collaborative working model that directly impacts vulnerable populations and strengthens territorial actions in food and nutritional security.
With this alliance, the UIS School of Nutrition and Dietetics continues to position itself as a key player in the construction of sustainable solutions that contribute to the well-being of the community and the fulfillment of regional and national development objectives in the area of food and nutrition.
