Central Visayas Malnutrition Rate Declines in 2016

National Nutrition Council Region VII releases the 2016 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus results with a 0.31% decrease in the prevalence of underweight-for-age in the region from 4.91% to 4.6%. The same report also shows a decrease in the stunting prevalence from 13.88% in 2015 to 12.64% in 2016.

There was a significant decline too in the four provinces in Central Visayas. Bohol province from 4.33% to 3.97%, Cebu province from 7.28% to 6.21%, Negros Oriental province from 6.95% to 5.84%, and Siquijor province with 4.46% from 5.31%.

Results also show that 1.00% or one in every 100 children aging five and below are overweight while 3.76% or four out of 100 are wasted.

Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental ranks first with 14.21% among the cities with the highest underweight-for-age rate followed by Bais City with 9.11% and Carcar City with 6.66%. Bais City, on the other hand, has the highest wasting prevalence with 9.11% and overnutrition with 2.53% among the sixteen cities while Carcar City has the highest stunting prevalence at 23.71%.

The Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus is the annual weighing and height taking of children aging six years and below to generate the nutritional status within the community done to identify and locate malnourished children whom will be given priority interventions.

The Central Visayas official OPT Plus results for 2016 can be accessed through the link http://nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/region-vii-central-visayas.

With the gradual decrease in malnutrition rate, the Central Visayas Nutrition Committee challenges local nutrition committees to strive harder for a malnutrition-free region.