Under Section 7 of RA 11148, “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-nanay Act” shall be implemented at the barangay level and that the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) shall be mobilized and provided with resources to carry their tasks. But what are really expected from the BNSs in the implementation of the law? PD 1569 defined our BNSs as a barangay-based volunteer worker that will be responsible for delivering nutrition services and other related activities. And same is expected from the BNSs in the implementation of RA 11148 in their respective barangays. The following are tasks that the BNSs shall implement in regards to RA 11148, among other functions.

Pregnancy (270 Days)

• Create IYCF support groups in the barangay
• Ensure normal nutrition status of women of reproductive age and even during pregnancy to identify nutritionally-at-risk individuals and for early management
• Ensure early tracking of pregnant women to ensure delivery of services
• Provide nutrition counseling (i.e. discuss maternal nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, IYCF, etc)
• Ensure use of adequately iodized salt in the household of pregnant women

First 6 months of Infancy (180 days)

• Ensure mother-baby friendly practices during and after labor (e.g. Unang Yakap, Unang Hakab, exclusive breastfeeding, etc.)
• Provide Nutrition Counseling (i.e. discussion on exclusive breastfeeding promotion, IYCF, etc.)
• Ensure that pregnant and lactating women join IYCF support groups
• Encourage mothers with their babies to get post-natal check ups
• Monitor length and weight of the baby every month
• Ensure that both the mothers and the babies get appropriate health and nutrition services such as immunization, micronutrient supplementation, growth monitoring and promotion, among others.

Infants 6 months up to 2 years of age (550 days)

• Provide nutrition counseling to mothers (i.e. discussion on appropriate complementary feeding, continued breastfeeding)
• Monitor length and weight of the baby every month
• Provide support for home gardens
• Ensure that monitoring of the developmental milestones of the baby is being conducted

However, the functions of the BNSs in the implementation of RA 11148 shall not be limited in the identified tasks above. Program innovations and constant coordination with local nutrition committees will help in ensuring efficient and effective roles of BNS in the implementation. - EMArcinue