Suppressing Malnutrition in the Next 6 Years through PPAN 2017-2022

Based on the National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in 2015, 33.4% or 3.8 million children are stunted while 7.1% or 807,057 are wasted. It also showed the emerging health concerns among children and a major problem of adults─ overnutrition, manifesting overweight and obesity. As a matter of fact, 18 million Filipinos are overweight and obese.

On the other hand, micronutrient deficiency is still a public health concern among pregnant women with 24.8% are nutritionally at risk with iodine deficiency at the course of their pregnancy. In effect, brain development is at risk for unborn and very young children.

Different forms of malnutrition such as wasting, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition affect the education of children and the economy eventually. As these children grow up, they will enter the workforce and with the continuing problem of malnutrition, this will give burden to workforce they belong as health-related issue increases. The cost of malnutrition greatly affects the country’s economy with a total loss of Php328 billion in 2013 due to the impacts of child stunting on education and productivity.

As a key of achieving nutritional concerns in the Philippines, the Philippine Plan of Action (PPAN 2017-2022) was launched in Iloilo City last  May 2, 2017 as the country’s blueprint of actions by the National Nutrition Council (NNC). Health Secretary and NNC Governing Board Chair Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial along with other GB members led the ceremonial turn-over to Iloilo Province represented by Governor and Chair of the Provincial Nutrition Committee Arthur D. Defensor, Sr. Iloilo province is one of the 38 prioritized areas of PPAN because of the large numbers of stunted children.

“The PPAN has ambitious targets particularly for stunting,” stated Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial, Health Secretary and NNC Governing Board Chair.

“But the Governing Board challenged itself and stakeholders to target a reduction of 21%. This will entail targeting at least 90% of pregnant women and children for programs, increasing resource commitments by national governments agencies and local government counterparts,” she added.

The launch highlighted an exhibit of the 8 nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs of PPAN. It was an experiential activity that will show off participants with compelling exposure on different nutritional problems and the designs of different PPAN interventions.

The PPAN 2017-2022 was approved by the NNC Governing Board during its 1st meeting on 21 February 2017.