BANGUED, Abra, Aug. 29(PIA) -- Rural health units in at least five towns in the province are set to conduct dietary supplementation program to help address high malnutrition rate in the areas.

The dietary supplementation program is a preventive and curative approach of the Department of Health (DOH) to provide sufficient and quality supplementary food among the targeted individuals as well as complementary activities   to maximize its  effect.

DOH-Cordillera targets to implement dietary supplementation program to five  municipalities namely Lagangilang, Danglas, Malibcong, Peñarrubia and Pilar  which have  high prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting.

The RHU doctors and nurses from these municipalities were tasked to submit the master list of pregnant women and mothers with infants and young children from poor households who will be  the beneficiaries of the feeding program.

Candice Salingbay of the Department of Health-CAR distributed  samples  of supplementary commodities such as nutri-pack champorado, nutri-pack chicken, nutri-pack beef and nutri milk choco drink to  RHU personnel  in preparation for the feeding proper that  is expected to start   last week of August.

Salingbay said the feeding program must be accompanied with complementary activities in order to maximize the effect of dietary supplementation among the beneficiaries such as deworming, immunization, complementary feeding promotion, breastfeeding promotion and management of childhood illnesses. (Christian Allister G. Tubadeza- PIA CAR, Abra)