TUGUEGARAO CITY-----Nutrition Action Officers, nutrition officers and other stakeholders welcomed and lauded the newly developed Electronic Operation Timbang Plus (E-OPT+) tool for Acute Malnutrition shared by National Nutrition Council Region 02 during the joint NAOs and D/CMNPCs virtual meeting.

The newly developed EOPT tool for acute malnutrition is an improved version of current EOPT+ Tool, aimed to aid areas with high and ongoing local transmission of COVID-19. This provides LGUs to opt to obtain the nutritional status of target children using the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), instead of the usual activities of getting the height and weight. The new EOPT tool will lessen the contact of the workers, with the caregivers and the children as well. This will help health and nutrition workers to consolidate and report accurate results of their Operation Timbang Plus.

"The NNC CO developed the tool in order for areas to continuously ensure availability of nutrition data in the locality," shared by John Nestor Ballad, Nutrition Officer II-NNC R02.

Mr. Ballad emphasized that the updated EOPT tool  requires measurement using the MUAC tapes as compared to the traditional weight and height measurement of the current EOPT+ Tool. However, the error and fact checking of the tool has been improved to ensure the accuracy of collected and analyzed data.

"This tool will benefit areas with rising cases of COVID-19, which will be safe for both of the OPT Plus team and the children and his/her caregiver," happily noted by Ms. Luzviminda Ragpa, NO-Province of Nueva Vizcaya.

"The tool also ensures that BNS and our stakeholders will have an accurate and ready to print information sheet for planning and follow up monitoring visits of their nutritionally-at-risk children," emphasized by Ms. Maria Gisela Lonzaga, RNPC- NNC Region 02. She also shared to nutrition stakeholders that MUAC tapes will be given to cities/municipalities and provinces down to the barangay level to ensure proper measurement materials will be used.

Once the NNC CO finalized the EOPT + tool for acute malnutrition, it will be used in some areas in the region to ensure completeness of OPT+ report in the first quarter of 2021.###JNLB