Promotion of good nutrition can help achieve MDGs: exec
Promoting good nutrition from the barangay level could help contribute to the effort of the government meet its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
This was emphasized by Maria Lourdes A. Vega, chief of the Nutrition Policy and Planning Division of the National Nutrition Council, during the Nutrition Congress in Iloilo City last week attended by more than 1,000 nutrition program implementers in Western Visayas.
Vega oriented the participants of the Nutrition Congress that leaders from both developed and developing countries gathered and agreed to achieve a set of concrete, measurable development objectives by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals which are focused on addressing extreme poverty and hunger, among others.
“Hindi ito ma-achieve kung hindi tayo tutulong sa barangay,” said Vega as she pointed out on the health aspect of the program to reduce by half by 2015 the prevalence of underweight for underfives, and the percentage of households with inadequate energy intake.
She presented to the participants of the Nutrition Congress a survey result showing the increasing trend of anemia among pregnant women, and infants aging six months to eleven months old.
The prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder was high among pregnant and lactating women, while the prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency among children has dropped.
“This is a good indication of the result of many years of providing Vitamin A capsules sa ating under five year-old children given twice in a year during the Garantisadong Pambata activities,” Vega said.
The Nutrition Policy and Planning Division Chief gave the local nutrition program implementers some directions to follow to help improve the community’s nutrition situation.
These are to focus efforts on pregnant women and infants from 0 to 24-months old and to scale up achieving almost 100 percent coverage; promote exclusive breastfeeding; improve hygienic practices; provide micro-nutrient supplementation for young children and mothers; deworming drugs for children; promotion of fortified foods, among others.*PIA
