CEBU CITY – The National Nutrition Council (NNC-7) through its annual Operation Timbang Plus (OPT Plus) recorded a decline in the prevalence of malnutrition in all its forms--stunted, wasted, underweight, and overweight in 2023 but stunting, low height-for-age, remains the top malnutrition problem in Central Visayas.
The rate of decline in prevalence for all forms of malnutrition started when the pandemic began in 2020. It considered the decrease in OPT coverage from 82.4 percent to 78.8 percent as a possible factor for the drop of the prevalence rates, NNC-7 noted.
OPT+ is the annual child growth assessment for all 0- to 59-month-old children in the barangays conducted by trained teams. The OPT Plus generates data on the nutritional status of children in a barangay, locates under- or over-nourished children, and guides local government units in nutrition program management.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines stunting as low height-for-age. WHO stated that stunting happens as a result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition, usually associated with poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition, frequent illness and/or inappropriate feeding and care in early life. WHO warns that stunting prevents children from reaching their physical and cognitive potentials.
“We urge local government units to implement interventions and invest in solutions focused on the First 1000 Days of a child’s life from pre-pregnancy to two years of age as an effective strategy against stunting in children,” Dr. Parolita Mission, NNC Region VII Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator said.
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