The National Nutrition Council wants to ensure the successful implementation of nutrition programs at the community level. In region 2, NNC met with the non-government organizations in a regional forum in Tuguegarao to share with them Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022.
Approved on February 21, 2017, the plan is consistent with the Duterte Administration 10-Point Economic Agenda, the Philippine Health Agenda, and the development pillars of protective concern, transformation and development and the vision of Ambisyon 2040.
The plan consists of eight nutrition-specific programs and an initial list of 11 nutrition-sensitive programs. The NGOs have been identified as one of the partners for its implementation.
The forum, the agency said, aims to strengthen and establish collaboration, partnership and alliance with the sector to fight the double burden of malnutrition and nutrition related problems in the region.
“The local nutrition committees are on the process of formulating their Local Nutrition Action Plan. It would be a challenge to achieve these with the help of these NGOs,” Maria Gisela Lonzaga, NNC OIC Nutrition Program Coordinator, said.
Earlier, the agency said ‘it’s no longer business as usual’ when it comes to nutrition as the region is experiencing cases of underweight, stunting, wasting and overweight.
Between 2013 and 2015, Cagayan registered a 24.6 percent increase of underweight cases while Quirino recorded 44.1 percent in stunting, both among less than 5 years old.
The agency took time to present to the participants the regional nutrition situation which revealed that one out of four school children are underweight or 26.8 percent while seven out of 100 or 7.2 percent are wasted or thin and is considered to be a public health problem.
“Stunting prevalence generally increased for all provinces,” the report added
The PPAN was likewise presented to the NGOs while the LGUs and the nutrition committee shared their plan of action for next year until 2019.
The government has realized that while many non-governmental organizations have important roles in developing and implementing nutrition programs at the community level, they are not properly tap and maximize by the local government units including at the barangay.
With the plans and programs of NGOs presented during the forum as a result of a workshop, NNC region looks forward to a productive and more result-oriented nutrition activities in the Cagayan Valley region.
After all, nutrition is everybody’s business whether we like it or not.
