5 August 2020, Cagayan de Oro City – The National Nutrition Council (NNC) X conducted the 2020 Nutrition Month Webinar on “Safeguarding Nutritional Opportunities of First 1000 Days of life in the context of COVID-19” held last 29 July 2020.

The webinar was attended by more than 200 participants consisting of members of the Regional Nutrition Committee, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Task Force members, health and nutrition workers from provinces/cities/municipalities, barangay nutrition scholars, hospital affiliated, Registered Nutritionist Dietitians from private institutions, partners from the academe and other private schools, universities, colleges, resource person, and reactors via Zoom.

The main agenda of the webinar is to promote and guard the right nutrition of the First 1000 Days during the COVID-19 pandemic. The First 1000 Days covers the entire pregnancy period (270 days), first six months of a child’s life (180 days) and 6 months to 2 years (550). Proper nutrition in the First 1000 Days in the life of a child will have significant impacts on his/her health, productivity later in adult years and in the overall economic development of the community.

The webinar was opened by a welcoming address delivered by NPC Gladys Mae S. Fernandez. In her message, the webinar is one of the 2020 Nutrition Month activities to disseminate information and generate actions and commitments from different stakeholders. She also encouraged the local government units to invest in the First 1000 Days and continue the provision of services to ensure maternal, infant and young child nutrition to ensure their health and nutrition especially during this pandemic.

Resource speaker, Dr. Martin R. Parreño, National Programme Officer (Nutrition) of United Nations World Food Programme, provided insights on how to safeguard the nutritional opportunities of First 1000 Days of life in the context of COVID-19.

With the increasing figures on COVID-19, its effect is overwhelming for Philippines which is a low to middle country. COVID-19 pandemic creates a domino effect leading to disruptions in the food system and delivery of health and nutrition services. The chain effect can lead to unemployment and underemployment resulting to low food production, which will lead to higher food cost, lower food quality, quantity and diversity, low food intake and increased malnutrition. The effects are born by children and it will be harder for the vulnerable groups, especially those who are already malnourished.

Poor nutrition in the First 1000 Days of a child’s life can lead to stunted growth, which is associated with impaired cognitive ability and reduced school and work performance. Efforts should be made to prevent relapse, resulting in increased child malnutrition and mortality.

Five urgent actions to protect children’s right to nutrition in the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows:

• Safeguard and promote access to nutritious, safe, and affordable diets;
• Invest in improving maternal and child nutrition through pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood;
• Re-activate and scale up services for the early detection and treatment of child wasting;
• Maintain the provision of nutritious and safe school meals for vulnerable children; and
• Expand social protection to safeguard access to nutritious diets and essential services

Dr. Martin ended his discussion by reminding the health and nutrition workers, being frontliners in COVID-19 response, to take care of themselves to secure a healthy immune system and to better serve the community.

A panel of reactors were invited to give their insights and response to the presentation. City Nutrition Action Officer Hazel P. Dondonayos of Valencia City, shared that one of their challenges is on pursuing nutrition service delivery in the monitoring of the activities of nutrition workers. She said that due to the halt of Operation Timbang Plus in the barangays following NNC’s MELLPI Advisory No. 1, s2020, identifying children in need of intervention is challenging. CNAO Dondonayos also said that there is a need to link with other agencies like CSWD especially with the livelihood programs and social amelioration program to prioritize the vulnerable groups.

The second reactor, Dr. Elma C. Oclarit, Medical Officer III of DOH Center for Health Development – Northern Mindanao agreed to Dr. Parreño’s discussion, particularly on the threat of COVID-19 to child nutrition and the importance of achieving the Minimum Acceptable Diet. Lastly, she assured of the implementation of DOH Memorandum Circular 2020-0167 from the DOH, which is about the continuous provision of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care providers are instructed to continue the basic health services which include prenatal and postnatal services that are included in the First 1000 Days program.

As COVID-19 pandemic creates a shock across the world, it is essential to scale up efforts to protect the health and nutrition of women of reproductive age, protect, promote and support optimal IYCF practices and thereby safeguard the nutritional benefits of the First 1000 Days of life during this pandemic, which will pay off in terms of a healthier next generation. (PHA John Paul D. Navarro)