La Libertad, Negros Province – The Municipal Nutrition Committee of La Libertad conducted a one-day Philippine Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM) orientation. The session conducted on 14 June 2022 at Lalimar Beach Resort was attended by 24 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) from the different barangays in the municipality.  

PIMAM is one of the core lifesaving interventions to manage acute malnutrition. It is a nutritional program designed especially for children 6-59-month-old.  This is one of the nutrition-specific interventions in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022, which aims to decrease acute malnutrition, reduce child mortality and improve the survival of children under 5 years.

The NDDPs who conducted the orientation discussed to the participants the importance of assessing the nutritional status of children and monitoring the identified moderately and severely wasted children in their respective barangays. They capacitated the BNSs on the proper way or use of MUAC tapes, height board, and weighing scale in getting the measurements of a child as it has a great impact in identifying a child’s nutritional status. Provision of Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic and Supplementary Foods to MAM/SAM children was also discussed. The participants were also reminded to regularly monitor all identified moderately and severely wasted children not just during emergencies because wasting alone is an emergency.

Children with moderate acute malnutrition have a higher risk of mortality associated with nutrition-related deaths. If they do not receive adequate support and equitable attention, severe acute malnutrition such as extreme wasting or stunting may happen, which are both life-threatening conditions. The ultimate goal of La Libertad MNC is to significantly lower, if not zero out, the rate of acute malnutrition in their locality, and the PIMAM orientation is a step towards that direction. // ND II Chutsvieka May Pacatang, RND