9/04/2016

Philippines faces worst

chronic malnutrition rates in
10 years
Save the Children says that Philippines is facing the worst chronic
malnutrition rate among children aged 0-2 years old at 26.2% in the last 10
years, the organization cited data from the 2015 Updating of the Nutritional
Status of Filipino Children by Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).
Save the Children also pointed to the FNRI data which reveal that overall
chronic malnutrition or stunting rate for children under-5 years old has
significantly increased to 33.5% from 30.5 in 2013. In terms of reduction of
acute malnutrition or wasting, where a child suffered starvation and illness,
there has been almost no progress in the national data.

Dr. Amado Parawan, Save the Children Health and Nutrition Advisor
said: “Save the Children knows that the first 2 years of life is considered the
critical “window of opportunity” for a child’s optimal growth and
development. Any damage caused by stunting or chronic malnutrition during
this period is irreversible.”

“The latest national data also show that children born to the poorest mothers
are thrice likely to suffer from stunting. This means that we need to double
our efforts to ensure that nutrition-related policies and programs reach the
most vulnerable.”

In response to findings of various studies, Save the Children has recently

launched a Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM)
project in Navotas city, which aims to treat and rehabilitate children with
severe and moderate acute malnutrition. This is the first ever CMAM project
to be implemented in Metro Manila as previous government and multi-sector
efforts were done in the Visayas and Mindanao.
 Ned Olney, Country Director of Save the Children, said: “It is critical that we
make malnutrition visible especially in this upcoming elections. New global
health targets (World Health Assembly and Sustainable Development Goals)
cannot be achieved without sustained political will and increased nutrition
investments in the “First 1000 Days.”

Save the Children is renewing its call to end this unacceptable reality. We are
calling future leaders of the country to tackle and commit to the issue of child
hunger and malnutrition.

 Scale up cost-effective and affordable high-impact nutrition interventions to

prevent child undernutrition that cripples the country, such as promotion of
exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, vitamin A and iron
supplementation, treatment of acute malnutrition and maternal nutrition
both at national and local levels.

 Save the Children urges that maternal nutrition is prioritized in public and
private health facilities. Mothers need as much health care and nutrition as
the child before, during and after childbirth to ensure the health and
nutrition of infants and young children.

 Once the child is delivered, the first two years of life is critical. We
therefore call for the strict and sustained implementation of nutrition-
specific interventions such as infant and young child feeding (IYCF),
micronutrient supplementation and the Community-based Management of
Acute Malnutrition (CMAM). This can only be done through political
will and good governance.

 Protect and comply with the country’s “Milk Code” to prevent any
attempts to revise and modify the “Milk Code”.

 Address the status of the community-based health and nutrition front-

liners e.g. Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and Barangay Nutrition
Scholars (BNSs) by implementing policies and mechanisms that can
improve the highly politicized situation, and providing proper incentives
and security of tenure, training and needed equipment.
  Ensure that budget allocation for health and nutrition programs are
sufficient, appropriate and prioritized.

 Support the “First 1000 Days Bill” to enhance the delivery of quality
nutrition interventions in the first 1,000 days of life to prevent stunting
among children.

About Save the Children

Save the Children Philippines is part of the global Save the Children
movementworking in over 120 countries. Present in the country for over
three decades, Save the Children delivers programs for Filipino children
which gives them a better education and easier access to healthcare, supports
them during emergencies while also educating communities on disaster
preparedness.

Save the Children has been advocating for policies and holistic programs and
projects for mothers, children and their families. We do this by training
frontline health and nutrition workers on live-saving care for newborns and
their mothers, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, managing community and
school-based health and nutrition programs and promoting reproductive
health to adolescents. Our work also includes making families more food
secure and resilient, for example to natural disaster, by working with
governments and other partners to generate alternative incomes and grow
nutritious food.

Lahat Dapat is Save the Children’s biggest campaign yet against hunger and
malnutrition. Save the Children believes that all children have the right to fair
and equal access to nutritious food. We know that the rate of stunting of 33%
is largely due to inequality of access to nutritious food, long periods of
hunger and a lack of nutrition during the first 1,000 days.
http://www.savethechildren.org.ph/about-us/media-and-publications/press-releases/media-release-
archive/years/2016/philippines-faces-worst-chronic-malnutrition-rates-in-10-years