NUTRITON PROGRAM Introduction: Malnutrition continues to be the public health concerns in the country.
The common nutritional deficiences are; 1.) Vitamin A 2.) Iron and 3.) Iodine. These deficiences lead to a serious physical, social and economic condition among children and women. The goal of the nutition program is to improve quality of life of Filipinos through better nutrition, improved health and increased productivity. Objectives: 1. Reduction in the proportion of Filipino households with intake below 100% of the dietary energy requirement from 53.2% to 44.0%. 2. Reduction in: a. Underweight among pre school children b. Stunting among pre school children c. Chronic energy deficiency among pregnant women d. Iron defiency among children 6 months to five years years old, pregnant and lectating mothers e. Prevalence of overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases f. Reduction in the prevalence of iron deficiency disorder among lactating mothers g. Elimination of moderate and severe IDD among school children and pregnant women h. Reduction in the prevalence of low birth weight Strategies: 1. Food based interventions for sustained improvements in nutritional status 2. Life-cycle approach with strategic attention to 0-3 years old children, adolescent females and pregnant/lactating women 3. Geographical focus to needier areas Programs and Projects: 1. Micronutrient Supplement Micronutrient Supplement is one of the interventions to address the health and nutritional needs of infants and children and improve their growth and survival. The twice-a-year distribution of Vitamin A capsules through the Araw ng Sangkap Pinoy (ASAP), known as Garantisadong Pambata (GP), or Child Heakth Week is the approach adopted to provide micronutrient supplements to 6-71 months old preschoolers on a nationwide scale. While the Micronutrient Guideliness provide for the giving of iron supplements to specific target groups, the availability of iron supplements depend on the capability of LGUs to produce the drugs. The iron and Vitamin A supplements among under five years old children nationwide has reached about 63.3% and 76.0% respectively. 2. Food Fortification
Food Fortification is also pushed to improve the nutrional status of the populace to include the children. The addition of essential nutrients to a widely consumed food product at levels above its natural state is a cost effective and sustainable intervention to address micronutrient deficiencies. The Food Fortification Act 2000 provides for the mandatory fortification of staples namely: flour with iron and Vitamin A, cooking oil and refined sugar with Vitamin A and rice with iron and the voluntary fortification of processed foods through the Sangkap Pinoy Seal. The household utilization of iodized salt is at 56%. The Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) has decreased among school children 6-12 years old based on urinary iodine excretion level (UIE) from 35.8% in 1998 to 11.1% in 2003 (FNRI-NNS, 2003). The usage of fortified products is at 52.7% of households with at least one product with a Sangkap Pinoy Seal at home. 3. Essential Maternal and Child Health Service Package This ensures the right of the children to survival, development, protection and participation. It includes the delivery of essential maternal and child health and nutrition package of services that will ensure the right to survival, development, protection and participation as follows: Breast feeding Complementary feeding Micro nutrient supplementation 4. Nutrition information, communication and education these includes the promotion of nutritional guideliness for Filipinos and other nutrition ket messages and training of health workers. 5. Home, School and Community Food Production It includes establishment of kitchens, gardens in homes, school and in communities in urban and rural areas to serve as source of additional food for the home and establishment of demontration centers and nurseries and distribution of planting materials. 6. Food Assistance includes center based complementary feeding for wasted/stunted children and pregnant women with delivering lown birthweight. This maybe done in school. Rice distribution is done in school through the efforts of local units. Food discounts were provided through Tindahan Natin Program. 7. Livelihood Assistance is done by provision of credit and livelihood opportunities to poor households especially those with malnourished children through linkage with lending and financial institutions. Functional literacy training helps in this endeavor.