Nutrition program should be LGU priority, too: NNC 6 chief
Local government chief executives must review their respective programs especially those addressing malnutrition among children, National Nutrition Council 6 head Nona Tad-y said.
Tad-y, who sits as the regional nutrition program coordinator, said in the PIA-Cable TV program that malnutrition in early childhood can be devastating and permanent.
Tad-y said that whether or not children are well-nourished during the prenatal period and the first years of life can have a profound effect on their health status.
This can also affect their ability to learn, communicate, socialize, reason, and adapt to their environment, she added.
Tad-y said it is important that local government units should also help in securing children’s survival by ensuring their healthy childhood so that when they grow up, they can be partners for the economic growth of the country.
In Western Visayas, the recent Operation Timbang result has identified zero to 71 months old and six to 10 years old children in nutritionally depressed cities and municipalities in various provinces of the region.
Based on the World Health Organization growth standard, the 2009 OPT conducted in Region 6, showed that 9.97 percent of zero to 10 months old children are underweight, or 10 in every 100 children are underweight.
The result also showed that the province of Antique has the most number of underweight children followed by Iloilo, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, and Capiz.
In identifying the top 10 municipalities, Tad-y said that seven are in Iloilo province, two from Antique and one from Aklan. These are Carles, San Dionisio, T. Fornier in Antique, Estancia, Bingawan, Caluya in Antique, Lemery, Batad, Balasan, and Tangalan in Aklan.
Nutritionally depressed cities include Escalante, San Carlos, Sipalay, Cadiz, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Passi, Sagay, Bacolod and Silay.
The prevalence of malnutrition among six to 10 years old school children was recorded at 23.92 percent. The Department of Education OPT result ranked by division, showed that Kabankalan City topped this category, followed by Antique, Cadiz City and La Carlota City, among others.
Tad-y said she hopes that both new and reelected local chief executives should focus on the nutritional needs of the children so that the magnitude of the problem would be minimized if not eradicated. (PIA6/T.Villavert)
