2020 Nutrition Month theme – “Batang Pinoy, SANA TALL…Iwas Stunting, SAMA ALL!” - was approved by the National Nutrition Council Technical Committee last 30 January 2020. On June 2020, “Iwas ALL din sa COVID-19” was added as COVID-19 pandemic threatens to increase malnutrition rate in many countries, including the Philippines.
Stunting is a chronic form of undernutrition characterized by being too short for one’s age. Stunted children have not received enough nutrition for a prolonged period, to grow and develop to reach his or her full potential. According to National Nutrition Survey of DOST-FNRI in 2018, 30.3% of preschool children are stunted.
Stunting is considered a global issue and have negative effects that affects different levels of the society. Stunted children have lesser brain mass and brain connections compared to healthy and normal children. Stunting makes children more prone in having non-communicable diseases as they grow old. They may perform less in schools and may not complete their education making them unemployed or underemployed adults with lesser income to provide for his or her family. Stunted children earn 20% less as adults than their non-stunted counterparts. Their less productivity affects the economy and may reduce per capita by 7%.
The National Nutrition Council included the First 1000 Days program as one of the Priority Actions in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2017-2022, which aims to combat stunting and other forms of malnutrition in the country. The First 1000 Days Program calls for a whole-of-government approach through converging health, nutrition, social services, and early education programs, projects, and activities. RA 11148 – “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” - was enacted into law last 2018 to institutionalize the First 1000 Days program in the Philippines.
2020 Nutrition Month aims to raise stunting not just as a health issue but an economic issue and a high-level agenda for development. Increase investment in nutrition can provide 30x economic gain. National Nutrition Council also wants to correct misconceptions that Filipinos are meant to be short and highlight that there is no forever in stunting with multistakeholder participation and widening nutrition networks.
For us, let us start by celebrating 2020 Nutrition Month this July and sharing its message across our networks. Happy 46th Nutrition Month! - EMArcinue
