There is a need to address the crisis of stunting in the country. Stunting, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), is one of the most significant impediments of human development. It is an outcome of inadequate nutrition and repeated bouts of infection during the First 1,000 days of life. It affects around 162 million children who are below 5 years old globally.
Stunting, or pagkabansot, is the percentage of children aged 0 to 59 years months (below 5 years old) whose height for age is below -2 standard deviations (moderate stunting) and -3 standard deviations (severe stunting) from the median of the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. Simply put, it is being too short for one’s age.
Stunting among children reduces intellectual capacity that results to poor school performance. Children who are stunted are also more prone to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart diseases later in life. This is because stunted children are at a greater risk of becoming overweight or obese. Prendergast and Humphrey (2014) also found out that stunted children were likely to have more anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem than children who are not stunted.
It is alarming to note that the Philippines ranks fifth with the highest stunting prevalence among countries in the East Asia and Pacific Region and one among the 10 countries in the world with the highest number of stunted children according to WHO data. Though the country has made progress in the reduction of stunting from 44.7 to 33.8 percent between 1987 and 2003, little progress has been made since then. In the last 15 years, stunting remained at 30 to 33% despite the economic growth and increase on health budget in the country.
In the Cordillera Administrative Region, based on the 2008 and 2013 National Nutrition Survey, the stunting prevalence among underfive children is higher than the national prevalence.
Given the above stated national data, the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022, the country’s framework for nutrition improvement, targets a reduction of stunting prevalence from 33.4% in 2015 to 21.4 % in 2022. This is in support to the World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Target to achieve a 40% reduction in the number of stunted children under five years old by 2025. In line with this is the Goal 2 or Zero Hunger under the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Focusing on the First 1000 Days of Life is one of the strategic thrusts of PPAN 2017-2022. Aside from those who are already malnourished, the nutritionally vulnerable such as the pregnant and lactating women, infants, and young children 0-23 months old should be given priority. The PPAN recommends the following interventions to address the battle against malnutrition: 1) Maternity protection and improving capacities of workplaces on breastfeeding, 2) Establishing lactation stations in non-health establishments, 3) Nutrition promotion for behavior change, 4) Supplementary feeding of pregnant women and children from 6-23 months to 24-59 months, and school children, 5) Iron-folic acid and other micronutrients supplementation of pregnant women, as well as consumption of fortified food items, 6) Prevention and management of infections and diarrhea, and 7) Regular growth monitoring of weight and height.
BELLA M. BASALONG, RNPC
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References:
National Nutrition Council. (2020). 46th Nutrition Month Talking Points. Retrieved at https://www.nnc.gov.ph/component/phocadownload/category/18-car-policies-plans-activities?download=2260:nutrition-month-talking-points-2020-finale
Food and Nutrition Research Institute. The 6th National Nutrition Surveys: Initial Results.
Prendergast, A.J. and Humphrey J.H. (2014). The stunting syndrome in developing countries. Paediatrics and International Child Health Volume 34, 2014 - Issue 4: Nutrition and malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Retrieved at
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/2046905514Y.0000000158
