Many studies have shown a link between undernutrition, especially stunting, in the first years of life and overnutrition in the later years.
The First 1,000 Days has been called the “golden window of opportunity” for a comprehensive package of nutrition and related interventions to achieve significant changes in reduction in child stunting, underweight and wasting, at the same time contribute to complete child development.
Highlighting the First 1,000 Days during Nutrition Month in July aims to create awareness on the importance of proper infant and young child feeding practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and giving appropriate complementary food after six months while continuing breastfeeding.
The celebration also aims to promote collaboration among various stakeholders both at the national and local levels for programs serving families with pregnant mothers and children less than two years old.
The 2016 Nutrition Month celebration will also serve as a venue for the launching of the Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention Package (ECCD-IP) for the First 1000 Days.
The NNC leads the ECCD-IP First 1000 Days program which aims to contribute to the full development of the child through integrated services of health, nutrition, early education, and social services for improved quality of the country’s human resource base as a contribution to reduce poverty. It addresses the call for a “holistic approach to the provision of health, nutrition, education, and social welfare services to children 0-8 years of age”, but with an even more refined focus on the first 1000 days of life. Specifically, the ECCD-IP First 1000 Days aims to reduce mortality and morbidity rates among children zero to 23 months old; reduce the prevalence of stunting and wasting among children; and increase the percentage of children of the same age meeting developmental milestones.
