A healthy future commences in the first 1,000 days! Nourishing a solid start for all children is their right. They deserve to thrive in a VUCA – vulnerable, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. But according to UNICEF, 9 Filipino children die every day because of malnutrition. Now, that's a big picture of our problem and needs a more comprehensive reflection – the 4Bs!

Building Brains. During the first 1,000 days, good nutrition provides the building blocks for healthy brain development (FHI Solutions LLC). So, investing in good food becomes fuel for a child's cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional development.

Building Health. Setting the foundation for health from pregnancy, where a healthy future starts, then, in infancy, where breastmilk should be the baby's superfood, and early childhood, where healthy eating habits should be established, is a must.

Building Fair Start. Millions of young children don't get this opportunity. They are born into unsafe environments. Families contend with poverty that prevents them from getting the nutrition and care they need to reach their developmental potential. Remember, when children get a strong start, we all benefit. It will determine their future—and ours.

Building Policies. During these unprecedented times, pregnant women were advised to stay home due to the higher risk of the COVID-19 virus. This micro-step on prioritizing public health policies would provide a macro effect since maternal prenatal nutrition and child's nutrition in the first 2 years of life are vital factors in a child's development and lifelong health (Schwarzenberg, S.J., and Georgieff, M., 2018). This measure also provided more time for the mother to bond with her baby and gave more opportunities for the mother to monitor and check her maternal lifestyle.

My takeaways? Invest in the health and nutrition of women and children to build prosperity, and lead better lives. 

By: John Paul Art Echavaria