More than 900 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) attended the Online Orientation/Re-Orientation on Anthropometric Assessment of Nutritional Status of Under-Five Children. Being the supervisors of BNSs, 83 Local Nutrition Program Coordinators were also present during the orientation/re-orientation held on February 28 and March 7, 2022 via Zoom.
One of the tasks of a BNS as community-based nutrition worker is to identify and locate malnourished children and monitor their growth. They conduct Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus which is the annual weighing and length or height measurement of all preschoolers 0-59 months old from January to March.
Errors were seen in social media posts of BNSs doing the OPT. NNC-NCR deemed it necessary to orient/re-orient the BNSs on how to accurately do the weighing and length/height measurement of children.
NPC Federizo explained the importance of correct and proper measuring of height and weight of children under five years old, “Sana sa pamamagitan ng webinar na ito, ma- orient ang mga bagong BNS na hindi pa nagkakaron ng training or ma re-orient ang mga BNSs at NDs kung ano ang tamang technique ng tamang pag measure ng growth ng bata upang masiguro natin na ang ginagawang OPT Plus ay tama ang makukuhang data. Napakahalaga po na tama ang data na makukuha natin sa OPT. Dahil kung mali ang makukuha nating sukat, mali din ang makukuha natin nutritional status ng bata at mali din ang makukuha natin kabuuang nutrition situation ng inyong barangay. Ganun din, mali ang makukuhang kabuuang picture ng ating city/municipality. Hindi din magiging accurate ang regional nutrition situation. Ganyan ka-importante ang tamang pagtitimbang at pagsukat ng taas ng isang bata”
During the online orientation, the roles of BNSs in the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) in the barangay and their tasks in the OPT Plus and Growth Monitoring Promotion were discussed by NPC Mila Federizo and NOII Thesa Rivas, respectively.
Further, NOIII Meren Francia explained the proper techniques in measuring height, length, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference of preschool children. The BNSs participated in identifying the common errors in measuring length, height, weight and mid-upper circumference.
With this webinar, the NNC-NCR hopes that the common errors in measurement will be prevented to ensure proper conduct of OPT Plus and growth monitoring of children.
“Huwag po kayo magsasawa sa inyong ginagawa kahit mahirap, patuloy ninyong mahalin ang inyong trabaho para marami pa kayong mapag silbihan at manatili kayong mga Bayani ng Nutrisyon at Serbisyo sa inyong mga communities” – NPC Federizo in her message to BNSs.
Written by:
NOIII Emerenciana L. Francia and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo
