COTABATO CITY (July 12, 2016) --- The Health
Organization for Mindanao (HOM) based in this city has joined other
stakeholders in Maguindanao and Cotabato City in the simultaneous launching of
the celebration of Nutrition Month in
rites set July 11 at the ORG compound here.
The launching was led by the Department of
Health and the National Nutrition Council in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (NNC-ARMM) with focus on advocating right nutrition for the first
1,000 days of each child.
The 2016 Nutrition Month Movement, “First
1000 Days ni Baby Pahalagahan para sa Malusog na Kinabukasan,” targets to
combat malnutrition among this age group.
The nutrition a child receives during the first 1000 days (from
pregnancy to two years) greatly influences ones intellectual development and
lifelong health.
In keeping with the event, several activities
have been lined up: Nutrition Forum, Radio Guesting of Regional Nutrition
Council line-agencies, community-based information drive on Nutrition Month
Talking Points, and Buntis Day.
According to the Health Organization for
Mindanao, the partner of United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in
implementing the Scale-Up Nutrition Program, almost half of the children
between six to 59 months are stunted (low height for their age) in Maguindanao
alone.
It could be that cases of stunted or other
cases of malnourishment is a result of the non-full implementation of the
comprehensive set of interventions in the barangay level across the country,
especially in the most vulnerable communities.
Currently, the DOH teams up with the HOM in
partnership with the UNICEF to address malnutrition in the ARMM and Zamboanga.
Last year, Senator Grace Poe filed Senate
Bill (SB) No. 2755 or the First 1000 Days Act to address the swelling number of
child malnutrition cases in the country. This bill aims to provide several
programs on the 1st 1000 days such as nutrition counselling, milk feeding,
treatment of malnourished children, general family counselling, and
intervention measures through safe and high-quality complementary food.
She also filed the Sustansiya sa Batang
Pilipino Act of 2013 or SB No. 79 to push for the institutionalization of a
free nutri-meals program to children enrolled in all kindergarten, elementary,
and high schools.
Maternal,
Child Healthcare
The health and well-being of a pregnant and
lactating woman influence the growth and development of her infant. Undernutrition
during pregnancy, affecting fetal growth, is a major determinant of stunting
and can lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, an integral part of 1st1000
Days nutrition programming is to protect and support the mother-baby
relationship and to encourage integrated strategies and service delivery for
both.
Zambo
launching
In Zamboanga City today (July 12) , the HOM
has volunteered to lead the Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling to
pregnant and lactating women to amplify the campaign on the right nutrition for
the first 1000 days of every child.
The feeding counselling activity is
actualizing one of the agenda of the 2nd Quarter Meeting of the Regional
Nutrition and Anti-Hunger Committee of Region IX last June 7.
Services include pre-natal for pregnant
women, dietary counselling for pregnant women, counselling on breastfeeding and
proper latching, display of prepared complementary food for taste test, and
distribution of hygiene kits (soap, toothbrush, tooth paste, and towel).
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