FNRI, PNC link to fight malnutrition
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology and the Iloilo Provincial Nutrition Council-Provincial Nutrition Technical Working Group recently met and discussed possible partnership to address malnutrition problem in the province.
FNRI Director Mario Capanzana presented the S and T Sulong Pinoy Program of the FNRI to the group led by Provincial Health Officer Patricia Grace Trabado.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias and DOST 6 Director Rowen Gelonga were also present during the meeting held at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol last September 14.
Capanzana said the S and T Sulong Pinoy Program aims to reduce the prevalence of undernutrition among young children in selected areas. It has three components that include accelerated food technology transfer, DOST PINOY (Package for the Improvement of Nutrition of Young Children), and research and development (R & D) on multi-nutrient growth mix.
Under the program, a nutritionally depressed municipality in the province will be identified and will benefit from the “DOST PINOY,” a nutrition package comprised of 120-feeding days intervention using FNRI developed complementary foods along with nutrition education and promotion among mothers. Beneficiaries of the nutrition package are mothers and their malnourished children six months onwards.
“We are all aware of the malnutrition situation in the country and we need to address it in order to meet our Millennium Development Goal,” Capanzana said.
MDGs are a set of eight time-bound and specific development goals committed by the Philippine government to be achieved by 2015. These are: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development.*PIA6
