28 May 2019, Cagayan de Oro City - As the country strives to improve the overall health of all vulnerable groups especially the 6-59 months old children, the great bearing of nutrition status in the overall health is more realized. Based on the Updating National Nutrition Survey 2015, there are 4% or 4 out of 100 children under five years old are nutritionally wasted in Northern Mindanao. Wasting or thinness indicates recent and severe process of weight loss according to World Health Organization and classified as Moderate and Severe Acute Malnutrition (M/SAM) or weight-for-height z-score between -2 and -3 below the median. Children who are SAM is 9 to 11 times and MAM has thrice risk of death compared to healthy child in same age, but it can be reversed if recognized and treated early with proper food, nutrition and care.
In order to address the existing problem and before it gets worse during emergencies, DOH Center for Health Development-Northern Mindanao spearheaded three (3) batches of roll-out Training on Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM) on 15-17 May for the 1st batch, 22-24 May 2019 and 29-31 May 2019 for the 2nd and 3rd batch, respectively. The expected outputs are 1) train community health workers, health professional and LGU leaders to identify, refer, provide right-based care, counselling and monitoring of children under-five and their families, 2) Practice the delivery of selected modules of the PIMAM training course and conduct roll-out trainings; and 3) act as resource person for the roll-out training.
The identified participants for the 1st batch are Midwives, Rural Health Unit, Nurses, and Development Management Officers from Lanao del Norte, select CHD and Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) hospital staff and NNC X. The resource persons for the 1st batch conducted at Pearlmont Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City were Ms. Telesfora G. Madelo, ND IV of CHD-NM, Ms. Caroline A. Cabunoc, ND II of CHO-Cagayan de Oro City and Mr. Dennis A. Awayan, ND of PHO - Misamis Occidental. Ms. Flory Ann Y. Dycoco and Ms. Jyn Allec Samaniego of Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina (KMI) were also invited as consultants of the training.
A series of lecture-discussion, demonstration and return-demonstration, group work, and practical task at Barangay 31, Cagayan de Oro City were conducted. Participants were paired and tasked to perform weight and height taking, MUAC measurement, demonstration of handwashing and counselling to caregivers/mothers with 0-59 mos. old child. At the end of the training, the participants committed to practice delivery of selected modules of the PIMAM training course and conduct roll-out trainings.
Department of Health CHD safeguards the course with the momentous developments in scaling up services for the SAM and MAM management. Filipino children with moderate and severe acute malnutrition will finally be able to access life-saving treatment and care towards Universal Health Care.
One of the cost-effective interventions and significant nutrition-specific programs of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2017-2022 is the management of acute malnutrition. Every child deserves a better life by claiming ZERO SAM and MAM. (NO II Liwayway S. Llorico)
