The National Nutrition Council (NNC) convened the Nutrition Surveillance - Technical Working Group (NS-TWG) to discuss the Philippine Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS) or NutriWATCH: Nutrition Winning Actions toward Change.
The NS-TWG is composed of representatives of data-producing- and data-utilizing agencies of the government. The TWG recommends strategies and activities that can improve the system for nutrition statistics, including collection, dissemination and utilization of nutrition information. The TWG’s recommendations and statistical products are for technical vetting by the NNC Technical Committee before they are adopted by the NNC Governing Board.
The meeting reviewed the updated PNSS Strategic Plan, 2020-2022 and the inventory of nutrition and nutrition-related indicators resulting from the series of interagency workshop and meetings. The document discusses in detail the vision, objectives and strategies and various statistical activities as well as enabling activities and timelines to help achieve the long-term vision of “the PNSS providing information for timely and evidence-based decision-making and actions for nutrition improvement”. The planned activities by various agency partners are envisioned to help address challenges along data quality, poor dissemination and inadequate data analysis and utilization, among others.
The updated inventory of indicators was also discussed by the TWG to recommend the final mix of outcome, output, input indicators that can measure progress of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and its various initiatives. The list of indicators was updated based on Framework of Intergenerational Consequences of Malnutrition (ASEAN-UNICEF-WHO) which classified indicators whether they are consequential, intermediate, underlying causes or basic causes of malnutrition. The list also considered the recent global nutrition targets, global monitoring frameworks and internally accepted standards and guidelines.
Updates on completed and ongoing activities of the NutriWATCH along policies and plan formulation and monitoring and evaluation; data management; resource mobilization and partnership; and capacity development and connectivity were presented to the TWG members.
The TWG-PNSS members include the Department of Agriculture’s Special Concerns Office; Department of Education’s Bureau of Learner Support Services; Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau; Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Policy Development and Planning Bureau and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Management Office; Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration; National Economic and Development Authority; Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision; and Department of Information and Communications Technology.
The NNC as one of its core functions spearheads the formulation of national and subnational food and nutrition policies and strategies along monitoring and evaluation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.
(Daniel G. Salunga)
