BAGUIO CITY – The multi-agency Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) of the Cordillera office of the National Nutrition Council (NNC-CAR) uncovered that the city remains to have the lowest prevalence of underweight pre-school children at 1.48 percent compared to the 11.91 percent underweight pre-schoolchildren in Abra for the years 2014-2015.
The RNET also reported to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan that there was a decrease in the number of undernourished elementary schoolchildren from 4.18 percent in 2013-2014 to 3.47 percent in 2014-2015.
The evaluation team noted that one of the strengths of the city that was contributory to the recent accomplishments is the increase in the incentives of barangay nutrition scholars, barangay nutrition action officers and barangay health workers from P1,500 to P2,000 in 2014.
Moreover, the city and barangays have Nutrition Clusters to protect the nutritional well-being of the populace in times of disasters and emergencies and good utilization of allocated funds for nutrition.
The city and barangays were able to pass several resolutions and ordinances on nutrition and nutrition-related activities coupled with the sustained involvement of private sector in the BCNC with their contributions included in the plan.
The RNET noted there were adequate interventions in the barangay nutrition action plan’s focused to the malnourished children and strong leadership of barangay captains and other barangay officials.
It was also recorded that there was presence of breastfeeding corners in all barangays and sustained community gardens in all barangays.
However, the RNET cited areas for improvement of the city and the barangays in terms of addressing the increasing trend of overweight and obesity among preschool children, elementary and secondary students as the Cordillera posted the fourth highest prevalence of overweight children in both the elementary and secondary levels.
According to the RNET report, the city and barangay documentation is good but the reports on nutrition activities can still be enhanced with completeness and consistency showcasing causality of malnutrition- causal model, spot map.
The RNET recommended that the barangay nutrition councils should conduct meetings regularly with proper documentation that includes the minutes of meetings and the adopted resolutions coupled with ordinances passed by barangay councils and the city council.
Among the RNET recommendations include submission of CNAP semestral accomplishment to NNC-CAR, provide additional funds for the purchase of multivitamins/micronutrient supplements and Strengthen IEC through conduct of Pabasa sa Nutrisyon and one-on-one counselling for malnourished children.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan welcomed the findings and recommendations of the RNET and challenged the members of the city and barangay nutrition councils to take note of the areas where the city needs to improve its performance in order to comply with the same so that the city will be able to sustain the implementation of various interventions to address concerns on nutrition among the populace. - Mr. Dexter See, Herald Express
