National Nutrition Council XII reveals the region’s 2018 Operation Timbang Plus results generated/submitted by the LGUs. Generally, the regional nutrition situation showed a significant decreasing malnutrition rate (underweight, stunting, wasting) among children aged 0-59 months old over the last three years based on the OPT Plus reports of the LGUs from 2016-2018.
Based on the Regional OPT plus reports, underweight was recorded at 5.7% in 2016 and consistently decreased to 4.45% in 2018. For stunting, the regional prevalence rate also decreased over the years from 13.72% in 2016 to 9.6% in 2018. Consequently, regional prevalence on wasting also showed a decreasing trends from 5.37% in 2016 down to 3.41% in 2018.
Among the nine (9) Provinces and Cities in the region, 2018 OPT Plus for underweight showed that Cotabato City posted the highest prevalence rate at 7.89%, followed by Sultan Kudarat Province at 6.07% and Sarangani Province at 5.15%.
For Stunting, top 3 LGUs with highest prevalence rates were the cities of Cotabato (20.45%), Kidapawan (16.69%) and Sultan Kudarat Province (10.33%). Meanwhile, Cotabato City still was the highest for wasting at 11.50% followed by Kidapawan City at 6.82% and Sultan Kudarat Province at 4.53%.
Out of the 50 LGUs in the region, top three (3) with highest prevalence of underweight includes the Municipalities of Kabacan (10.50%), Banisilan (10.18%) and Libungan (10%). For stunting, top three (3) LGUs with highest prevalence rates were the municipalities of Tboli at 26.90%, Magpet at 23.27% and Kiamba at 22.54%, while top three (3) LGUS with high prevalence of wasting were Cotabato City at 11.50%, Libungan at 10.63% and Maasim at 9.20%.
Malnutrition will lead to low productivity, poor mental development and even death if not given focus and priority. Malnutrition impacts both the individual’s life and the socio-economic status of the region and the country as a whole. In 2017, all the provinces and one highly urbanized city of the region were included in the PPAN focus areas due to the alarming cases of stunting based on the 2015 National Nutrition Survey. With that, all the Local Government Units, partner agencies and other stakeholders took part in the advocacy and promotion for a healthier region through the implementation of nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive programs, projects and activities specifically a wide campaign on the First 1000 days, focusing on the maternal and neonatal health and nutrition, intensive implementation of micronutrient supplementation, dietary supplementation, management of acute malnutrition which includes rehabilitation of severely and moderately acute malnourished children and promotion of healthy lifestyle. On the other hand, Local Nutrition Committees also took initiatives to procure additional anthropometric tools and the deployed Nutritionist-Dietitian were also mobilized which greatly contribute to a quality OPT Plus reports.
Through the collaborative efforts of the partner agencies, local government units and other stakeholders, The National Nutrition Council XII and the Regional Nutrition Committee iare hopeful for addressing the problem of malnutrition which will result to the improvement of the nutrition situation in the region. (AML/AMVF)
