Cotabato City, Philippines - A Joint Meeting with UNICEF Manila and Mindanao was held on September 7, 2022 at Paragon Hotel, Cotabato City. The meeting aims to brainstorm to determine gaps, challenges and concerns in nutrition program implementation and determine strategies and interventions that needs to be scaled-up to enhance the multi-sectoral nutrition program implementation. Also included in the agenda are the presentation of updates on UNICEF Global Nutrition Strategy, UNICEF support for Covid 19, Nutrition, WASH, and Risk Communication.  Further, the community engagement of UNICEF for the next 10 months was also discussed including its implementing partners for enhance partnership and collaboration.

The said meeting was participated by BARMM Ministries of Health, Education, Social Services, Information Office and the National Nutrition Council-BARMM.

NNC-BARMM OIC NPC Retsebeth M. Laquihon shared the highlights of accomplishments of NNC BARMM specifically on nutrition policies formulated and disseminated at the regional and local level. Further, she also discussed the status of existing system in nutrition governance with emphasis on the status of the functionality of local nutrition committees, the designation of NAOs and the deployment of BNSs in nutritionally at-risk areas in BARMM region. These concerns were raised to determine areas of engagement where NNC can work with other partners particularly with UNICEF and identified ministries for collaboration and integration of efforts.

Author: DMO II Maleja Daud Jaamil and OIC NPC Retsebeth M. Laquihon