MANILA, Philippines – Eastern Visayas representatives from Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Nutrition Council  (NNC) 8 is attending the Philippine Multi-sectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) Management Orientation and Consultative meeting here.

The 3-day orientation meeting/workshop at Joy-Nostalg Hotel and Suites Manila in Pasig City kicked off August 16, 2022.

The PMNP will support the provision of nutrition and healthcare services in primary care and community levels among 257 municipalities of 14 regions with high poverty and malnutrition incidence.

The World Bank has approved a $178.1-million (about ₱9.7 billion) loan to boost the country’s efforts against malnutrition a week before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office.

The project features a package of “nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive” interventions along with social behavior change and communications (SBCC) ones.

Among the interventions for households with pregnant women and children under two years old: a) infant and young feeding; b) regular growth monitoring; c) multiple micronutrient supplements for kids aged 6-23 months; d) dietary supplementation for nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women; and e) treatment of moderate, severe acute malnutrition.

The project also supports behavioral change campaigns (SBCC) for targeted households and communities for “crucial” behaviors for better nutrition outcomes for women and children.

For Eastern Visayas, four provinces are included in project. These are the provinces of Leyte, Samar, North Samar, and Eastern Samar.

For Leyte, it will cover 22 municipalities, 21 municipalities for Samar, 14 for Northern Samar and 13 municipalities for Eastern Samar.

The meeting workshop aims to draw regional multi sectoral plans to decrease all forms of malnutrition. #RNPC-CPD