November 5, 2015 marked a breakthrough in addressing severe acute malnutrition in the Philippines and a first in East Asia, that is, the launch of the National Guidelines for the Management of Acute Malnutrition among Children Under-5. The National Nutrition Council (NNC) joined this milestone being the co-lead of the PIMAM (Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition) National Program Management Team, with Department of Health (DOH) being the lead. Health Undersecretary Vicente Belizario Jr., Dr. Willibald Zeck of UNICEF, Assistant Secretary of Health Maria-Bernardita T. Flores, key DOH and UNICEF officials, led the ribbon cutting ceremony at Richmonde Hotel in Pasig. Highlighted too in the event was the journey of two children, namely Jeric and Fahad, who once suffered from severe acute malnutrition.

Indeed, management of acute malnutrition has the power to improve survival of children under 5 years old nationwide by ensuring access to evidence-based, effective, and life-saving interventions to prevent and treat acute malnutrition. Management of acute malnutrition which used to be done only in emergency situations, will now be integrated and institutionalized into routine health and nutrition programs, and scaled up effectively to address severe acute malnutrition in both emergency and development contexts as undernutrition continues to be a public health priority in the country.