Structure of the food and nutrition surveillance system in primary health care in the Minas Gerais state.

A Vigil?ncia Alimentar e Nutricional-VAN visa a monitorar o estado alimentar e nutricional da popula??o com o prop?sito de prover informa??o cont?nua sobre as condi??es alimentares e nutricionais e seus fatores determinantes para tomada de decis?o pelos gestores. As a??es para sua operacionaliza??o devem ser promovidas no ?mbito da Aten??o B?sica do Sistema ?nico de Sa?de, utilizando a estrutura dispon?vel desse n?vel de aten??o, incluindo os recursos humanos, financeiros, f?sicos e materiais. Este trabalho objetivou identificar e descrever a estrutura organizacional para a realiza??o de a??es de vigil?ncia alimentar e nutricional em n?vel municipal, por meio de question?rio estruturado, enviado aos 853 munic?pios de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Participaram da pesquisa 432 munic?pios, nos quais foi observado que a estrutura para a realiza??o de a??es de alimenta??o e nutri??o avan?ou, desde a implanta??o da Vigil?ncia Alimentar e Nutricional, no Sistema ?nico de Sa?de, mas carece de adequa??es que possibilitem qualificar as a??es de alimenta??o e nutri??oThe aim of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance is to monitor the food and nutritional status of the population, for decision making by managers. This enables continuous collection of information regarding food and nutritional conditions and their determining factors. To implement this system, programs should be promoted within the basic care provided by the Unified Health System (SUS) by using the structure available at this level of care that includes human, financial, and material resources. With the aid of a structured questionnaire sent to 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais, the aim of this study was to identify and describe the structure available at the municipal level for the implementation of food and nutrition surveillance programs. Around 432 municipalities participated in the survey, revealing that their structure for the implementation of food and nutrition programs, in terms of the availability of human, financial, and material resources, requiring adaptations and greater consideration by the administration