The officers and board members of the Association of Nutrition Action Officers in NCR (ANAO-NCR, Inc) were once again challenged to end malnutrition during the Association’s regular meeting held on February 10, 2015 at Max’s Restaurant in Mandaluyong City. The meeting was presided by ANAO-NCR’s President and Mandaluyong City’s First Lady Mrs. Carmelita “Menchie” A. Abalos, assisted by Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa V. Federizo.

The meeting was well-attended with all the cities and municipality in Metro Manila represented except for Marikina City. Also present at the meeting were First Ladies and CNAO-designate Mrs. Melissa Sison-Oreta of Malabon City and Dr. Mary Joyce F. Medina of the Municipality of Pateros.

Discussed during the meeting were the following: a) 2014 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus Results and Nutritional Status of School Children; b) Updates on the status of the organization of local nutrition clusters in emergencies; c) Schedule and mechanics of the 2015 Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI); d) Updates on the status of the functionality of Local Nutrition Committees in the region; e) Organization of Local Bantay Asin Task Force; f) Promotion of Good Nutrition; g) approved 2014 RNC Resolutions; and h) ANAO-NCR’s Activities in 2015 which includes a Fun Run scheduled in July in line with the Nutrition Month celebration.

Metro Manila NAOs expressed their concern on the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children 0-71 months based on the 2014 OPT Plus results, notably among the 0-5 month age group. The prevalence of underweight also sharply increased when infants reach the age of 1 year. The group recognized the double burden of malnutrition in the region. RNPC Federizo stressed the need to for the local government units to invest on nutrition interventions on the first 1,000 days of the child which includes ensuring good maternal nutrition during pregnancy and providing optimal nutrition to infants and young children from birth up to 23 months. The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding from birth up to six months and proper complementary feeding starting at 6 months with continued breastfeeding up to two years and beyond must be continually intensified in Metro Manila.

In response, the Metro Manila NAOs reiterated their commitment to continuously strive to strengthen their local nutrition programs and make them truly responsive to the nutrition challenges in their respective localities. (TAR/MEVF/NNCNCR)