Multisector approach to address child stunting linked to malnutrition in PH

CEBU CITY – The Department of Health Central Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) joined with the other health services in the country for the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) regional technical session on January 15-19 in Davao City for a unified effort to address child stunting linked to malnutrition in the Philippines.

According to DOH, the PMNP is a joint initiative of the Philippine Government and the World Bank launched on January 25, 2022 that strives to elevate the health and nutrition standards of undernourished children across 235 municipalities nationwide, with a specific focus on 40 municipalities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The main objective of the regional technical session cum training is to provide a platform for implementers to review project guidelines, develop a comprehensive work plan for the 2024 Project implementation and discuss strategies, targets, and deliverables for 2024.

In the initial training segment titled "Barangay Nutrition Action Planning (BNAP), the DOH Central Visayas CHD team shared valuable insights from the BNAP Workshop, emphasizing successful practices, addressed challenges and discussed future plans for the strategic integration of nutrition priorities from the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 at the barangay level.

The training session not only provided a space for reflection on past successes and challenges but also paved the way for future plans that will contribute to the success of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 at the grassroots level, making the Nutrisyong Sapat para sa Lahat and Universal Health Care a reality.

The also training hopes to focus on aligning actions with management directives and reviewing crucial project guidelines, specifically those related to performance-based grants verification and social and environmental safeguards.

Leading the delegation of trainers were Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo, Chief of the Local Health Support Division and Dr. Chona Salang, Head of the Family Health Section with the key team members including PMNP Regional Project Officers, Nutrition Officers, and Project Assistants. (Photos: DOH-CHD/Stanley Cin)