BAGUIO CITY, Nov. 29 (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council (NNC) and stakeholders launched the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022 on Thursday (Nov. 23) at the Venus Parkview Hotel here to renew their commitment for nutrition and to generate support to help local government units implement their local nutrition programs. 

Anchored on the Philippine Development Plan, the PPAN is the country’s contribution to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, particularly SDG 2 which is to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Rita Papey, in presenting the PPAN 2017-2022, said the plan aims to achieve more Filipinos who are tall, less Filipinos who are thin, less Filipinos who are overweight and obese, and decreased vitamin and Micronutrient deficiencies particularly Vitamin A deficiency, Anemia, and Iodine Deficiency Disorders. 

PPAN’s strategic thrusts are the First 1,000 days of life, complementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs, intensified mobilization of local government units and reaching Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and communities of indigenous peoples. 

Papey explained that the focus on the first 1000 days of life aims to address stunting. This is the period of pregnancy up to the first two years of the child wherein key health, nutrition, early education and related services should be delivered to ensure the optimum physical and mental development of the child. It is this period when poor nutrition has irreversible effects on the physical and mental development of the child, which consequences are felt way into adulthood. 

Complementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs calls for implementation of nutrition-specific interventions to address the immediate determinants of fetal and child nutrition and development such as adequate food intake and nutrient intake, caregiving and parenting practices, and low burden of infectious diseases. 

The intensified mobilization of local government units, on the other hand, involves capacity building and mentoring of LGUs on nutrition program management to transform them to be self-propelling able to plan, implement, coordinate, and monitor and evaluate effective nutrition programs.  

Under the thrust on reaching GIDAS, and communities of indigenous peoples, the community of NGOs and development partners’ resources will be engaged for this purpose. 

The new PPAN features eight nutrition-specific programs devised to address the immediate causes of malnutrition such as inadequate food and nutrient intake, poor caregiving and parenting practices, and the burden of infectious diseases. This will be complemented by nutrition-sensitive programs which are already existing developmental programs that can be tweaked to produce nutritional outcomes.

The launch was also highlighted by an exhibit of the eight nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs of the PPAN. It was essentially an experiential activity that provided the participants with compelling exposure on various nutrition problems and the designs of different PPAN interventions. (JDP/MAWC – PIA CAR)