Malabuyoc, Cebu – Health and nutrition personnel of this municipality conducts home visits to severely acute malnourished (SAM) and moderately acute malnourished (MAM) children enrolled in Philippine Management of Acute Malnutrition (PIMAM) program. This is done regularly to supervise progress of treatment and an opportunity to mentor the Barangay Nutrition Scholars who are directly monitoring the children.
PIMAM is one of the core lifesaving interventions to address severe and moderate acute malnutrition. This is intended to be used in emergency, recovery and normal situations implemented by health and nutrition care providers (doctors, nurses, and program staff) working at all facility levels of health and nutrition service provision.
During the visit, the team measures the weight and height and took the MUAC of children. With the ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) and ready to use supplementary food (RUSF) available for SAM and MAM cases, the team also teaches the guardian on how to feed the child. They also conducted a nutrition counseling to the guardian or parents of children with focus on supplying the children with extra energy and nutrient-dense diets to stimulate weight gain, dietary modifications, such as consuming foods high in calories and nutrients, assistance to families in managing aspects impacting their child's nutritional intake, prioritizing food security, treatment for any underlying medical issues that contribute to malnutrition, and vitamin and mineral supplements.
Of particular concern of the PIMAM team is the case of 79 months and 65 months old siblings who is a SAM and a MAM, respectively from barangay Sto. Nino. The malnourished children are left to the care of their grandparents together with their other two siblings, the eldest sister with disability. The grandmother is responsible in taking care of all 4 children from preparing their food to feeding them.
The Barangay Nutrition Scholar monitors the nutritional status of these children until they graduate from the program. It is crucial that treatment be monitored frequently to ensure that it is effective. Weight and height measures will be done, and if there is no progress, the child will be referred to the nearest in-patient therapeutic facility such as district hospitals with trained personnel on PIMAM.
With the availability of PIMAM commodities for children enrolled in the program and provision of nutrition sensitive interventions to the family, these children are on their way to full recovery. // ND II Irene M. Umagap, RND
