A coalition of government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) seek to end malnutrition in the Philippines, especially among children below two-years old.
Former senator Jose Lina Jr., overall project chairman of Children's First 1,000 Days Coalition (CFDC), stressed on Wednesday, May 31, that malnutrition affects the development of children and could lead to their deaths.
"One-third of our children below five years of age ay yung stunted o kulang yung sukat sa kanilang edad," Lina said during DILG sa DZRH Breaktime.
"Kaya ang average height ng Filipino compared to Southeast Asian people and compared to all the people in the world, tayo na yung isa sa pinaka-stunted sa buong mundo," he added.
Lina said that statistics also show that an average of 95 children, with ages two-years old and below, die due to malnourishment.
"This is worse than COVID-19 pandemic and this has been going on for the last three decades. Halos hindi gaano nag-improve ang statistics," the former senator stressed.
Lina explained that CFDC seeks to reduce malnutrition in the Philippines within 10 years through cooperation between the public sector and NGOs.
He said that NGOs will adopt and partner with local government units (LGUs) to implement a nutrition intervention program.
"Yung mga nanay na buntis ay i-gather, i-identify, at i-enroll doon sa 1,000 days nutrition intervention program. Talagang tutukan yung tamang pagkain, mga supplemental vitamin," Lina shared.
"Bago pa mag-buntis tuturuan na on motherhood and right nutrition para kung mag-buntis ay i-register na sila at i-enroll doon sa nutrition intervention program," he added.
The coalition focuses on tackling the issue of malnutrition during first 1,000 days of a child due to the importance of the said period in the development of the brain.
"Yung unang 1,000 araw ng buhay ng isang tao mula sa pagbubuntis hanggang sa ikalawang taon ng pagdiriwang or birthday, doon na-develop yung human brain," Lina said.
"Paglaki, poor ang school performance. Yung cognitive ability, yung understanding, reading, abstract reasoning ay hindi na-develop at saka the damage is done. Kaya critical yung first 1,000 days,"&nbsp;he added.
On Saturday, May 27, government agencies and NGOs attended the launching of the First 1000 Days National Summit at the Manila Hotel.
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DILG sa DZRH Breaktime: LGUs, NGOs unite against malnutrition