Nutrition Action Officers to Wage All Out War on Malnutrition

More than 500 Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs) from all over the country were gathered by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to address the call for action to end malnutrition in the country. The NAOs, who are coordinators of nutrition programs of local governments, are critical in ensuring that local governments prioritize nutrition programs. During the 4th National Conference of Nutrition Action Officers, NAOs were urged to contribute to bringing down the rate of malnutrition especially among children.

While there have been improvements in the nutritional status of Filipinos in the past, the problem remains. Currently, 33 percent of children 0-4 years old are stunted or short for their age while 7.1% of the same age group are wasted (or low weight for height). Stunting results to delayed motor development, impaired mental development and poor school performance. Stunting often starts in the first two years of life and is mostly irreversible. Children who are wasted are likely to die as a result of lack of food or infectious disease.

During the conference, the NAOs were consulted on the provisional Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022. The PPAN provides the framework for action on nutrition during the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The PPAN will still undergo further consultation with national stakeholders following the conference in Cebu City as well. The PPAN is expected to be presented to the President during The Nutrition Summit on 13 December 2016.

According to Assistant Secretary of Health Maria-Bernardita T. Flores, Executive Director of the NNC, “We owe it to the Filipino children that they be born healthy and well-nourished to enable them to reach their optimum development potential. If we focus our efforts and resources, we will able to increase the number of children with normal weights and heights, reduce the prevalence of wasting and stunting, arrest the increase in obesity and end all other forms of malnutrition before 2025. But we need you, the NAOs, to make this happen.”

Gabriela Women’s Partylist Representative Congresswoman Emmi De Jesus gave the keynote message and committed to support the passage of priority nutrition legislative agenda. Among the priority legislation needed to support nutrition improvement are the appointment of full-time Barangay Nutrition Scholars in barangays; provision of a plantilla position for Nutrition Action Officers who are currently designated by their local chief executives; institutionalization of the First 1000 Days Program; amendment of the Food Fortification law; adoption of longer maternity leave to promote longer breastfeeding; additional tax for sugar-sweetened beverages and regulation of the marketing to children of foods of poor quality to prevent obesity and noncommunicable diseases as a result of unhealthy eating.

The 4th National Conference of Nutrition Action Officers was held on 15-16 November 2016 in Cebu City. It was organized by the National Nutrition Council in partnership with the Nutrition Action Officers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (NAOPA).