FNRI to conduct forum on 7th National Nutrition Survey Results
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute(FNRI)-DOST will present the major findings of the recently concluded 7th National Nutrition Survey (NNS) through a regional forum in Iloilo City on March 2, 2010 at the Iloilo Grand Hotel.
FNRI Director Dr. Mario V. Capanzana said the forum carries the theme: “7th National Nutrition Survey: Vital Inputs to Nutrition Governance for Sustainable Development.”
The current NNS is the seventh in a series of surveys undertaken every five years, results of which are used as inputs to national plans and programs, like the Medium Term Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, Philippine Plan of Action for Children, Poverty Alleviation Program, Food Fortification Program, Philippine Coalition for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases.
Likewise, the NNS also provides the benchmarks by which to gauge the country’s progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that include eradication of hunger, reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health.
The NNS covered all the 17 regions, 79 provinces and the National Capital Region, 3,377 Enumeration Areas, 36,633 households and 191,351 individuals as respondents
The forum will give an overview of the survey components along Anthropometry, which assesses nutritional status through the prevalence of weight profiles, Biochemical that assesses prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies, Clinical that assesses prevalence of hypertension, goiter and parasitism, Dietary that determines adequacy of food and nutrient intakes, Economics that determines socio-economic and demographic characteristics, Food Insecurity that provides data on food security of respondents and the coping mechanism employed, Government Health and Nutrition Program Participation and Health that determines prevalence of nutrition-related lifestyle diseases and risk factors.
Dr. Capanza said the presentation of highlights of the survey will be followed by a program review and workshop which is aimed to refocus health and nutrition programs and [policies in the light of the findings.
This will be participated in by major users of NNS data that include government agencies, LGUs, Academe, Industry and others. (PIA6/ESS)
