Senator Bong Go urges govt for nutrition/health interventions for women, children

CEBU CITY -- Senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher “Bong” Go urged concerned government agencies particularly the Department of Health (DOH) to use its allocated funds for the implementation of a Complementary Feeding Program to boost the response against COVID-19 by strengthening the nutrition and other health interventions directed toward low-income Filipinos, especially pregnant and lactating women and children below five years of age.

Go expressed deep concern that the pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition among struggling families and urged both public and private sectors to work together and improve access to nutrition, particularly for those in disadvantaged areas and communities and geographically isolated locations.

Go aired this concerned during a virtual message to some 870 market vendors in Mandaue City that received relief assistance on December 2 this year.  Go said that enough funding must be placed for the dietary supplementation program of six- to 23-month-old children under the Early Childhood Care and Development Program.

“This initiative must also include pregnant women and children of formative years in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Go added.

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the lead agency is responsible for identifying individuals, groups and communities that have the highest magnitude of hunger and undernutrition by harmonizing all existing national and local nutrition databases from the national government agencies, local government units and other relevant agencies of government.

NNC-7 regional director Parolita Mission welcomed the pronouncement of Sen. Bong Go and is pleased on his call for increased support for nutrition and health interventions for women and children.

 Mission said that the Dietary Supplementation Program for pregnant women and children 6-23 months affected by COVID-19 and those residing in GIDA areas will benefit both the mothers and children and prevent the further increase of stunting in Central Visayas which the latest (2018) NNS survey registered at 37.7 percent.

According to Mission that it is estimated that about 370,000 children will stand to benefit if his proposal would materialize aside from the nutritionally at-risk pregnant women who will hopefully deliver babies with normal weight and reduce low birth weight infants in the region.

In 2017, the National Nutrition Council launched the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2017-2022 which identified 38 priority areas around the country for nutrition interventions.

The plan most notably introduces eight nutrition-specific programs to address the causes of malnutrition such as inadequate food intake both in quality and quantity; poor care-giving and parenting practices; and the risks of infectious diseases.

 Go pointed out that malnourished children are at a greater risk from common infections due to their weakened immune systems.  This is made evident that nearly half of all deaths among children between zero and five years of age are attributable to undernutrition, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

He added that there is an urgent need to improve the health and well-being of mothers, children and infants to avoid any more preventable deaths as well as enhance the overall health of the population in the long run.

It must be noted that one’s diet during childhood is an important predetermining factor of one’s health later in life, Go said.