Cebu City – FEED the Children, one of the members of the Regional Nutrition Cluster (RNCluster), attended the 1st Regional Nutrition Cluster Meeting right after Super Typhoon Odette hit Central Visayas. Agreed during the meeting was their provision of multivitamins to pregnant and lactating women, Vitamin A, and deworming tablets for children affected by the calamity. 

According to World Health Organization (WHO), micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in small amounts. However, their impact on a body’s health is critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions. Vitamins indeed play several roles in the human body. They enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances needed for the body’s normal growth and development. 

The commodities arrived in the region in mid-February of 2022. The RNC Secretariat, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) CV CHD, agreed to divide the allocation with basis from the DOH Population Estimates and Multipliers to equally provide commodities amongst the four provinces of Central Visayas. 

The donated commodities are set to be delivered to the respective Provincial Health Offices/Provincial Nutrition Clusters in the 1st week of March 2022 who will in turn distribute them to the component cities and municipalities of each province. The RNCluster is beyond grateful for the support of each member agency in providing nutrition recovery and response to the affected local government units. We hope to have a replication of these wonderful efforts as the cluster continually provides nutrition intervention to vulnerable population in time of disasters. //ND II Shaira Camille T. Labastida, RND