BUTUAN CITY— Two Typhoon Odette-hit provinces of Caraga Region - Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands -topped stunting prevalence in the 2021 Operation Timbang Plus (OPT+) among provinces in the region reported during the Provincial and City Nutrition Action Officers and City and District Nutrition Program Coordinators on 24 February 2022 at Almont City Hotel, Butuan City. Surigao del Norte posted a stunting prevalence of 16.46% or 5,004 children out of 30,866 covered preschool children, while the Province of Dinagat Islands recorded 13.74% of stunting prevalence or around 1,778 children out of 13,805 total number of weighed preschool children.

National Nutrition Council Caraga, Officer-in-Charge, Dr. Niño Archie S. Labordo expressed during the meeting that given the situation brought by Typhoon Odette, coupled by the challenges of the pandemic, stunting is expected to increase and affect more children in the pummeled areas of Surigao and Dinagat Islands.

Stunting or low height-for-age is measured by height-for-age z-score of more than 2 standard deviations below the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards median. Accordingly, WHO classified stunting prevalence as <2.5%: very low; 2.5 to <10%: low; 10 to <20%: medium; 20 to <30%: high; and ≥30%: very high.

Stunting reflects the cumulative effects of undernutrition starting from the mother’s pregnancy until the child reaches two years of age.

The meeting urges the nutrition action officers to lobby with the local nutrition committee and prioritize intervention packages in the First 1,000 days of a child’s life. Exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months and the complementary feeding after are among the simple and cost-effective measures to prevent stunting relayed by Dr. Labordo.

Further, Dr. Labordo shared that the government is proactive in reducing malnutrition, manifested by the different legislations enacted by the Congress in recent years, which include, Republic Act (RA) 11148 or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act, RA 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act, and RA 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Act which are expected to be adopted by the local government units.

In typhoon ravaged areas like the Odette situation, the Nutrition Cluster under the Department Health Quad Cluster is proactive in the advocacy of infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) in emergencies and coordinating nutrition related responses to prevent further deterioration of children’s malnutrition. #NASLabordo