Members of the Municipal Nutrition Health Workers.
By virtue of PD No. 491, July is declared National Nutrition Month as a way to focus interest on nutrition and its impact on public health. Guests during the weekly Kapehan forum on July 11, 2009 were members of the Provincial Nutrition Committee headed by Dr. Victor Santamaria, Chief–Provincial Health Office (PHO). Ms. Cecilia R. De Lemos, Provincial Coordinator BHW-PHO; Ms. May Jean D. Arsenio – Nutrition Coordinator, DepEd; Ms. Rossini T. Mortalla, Nutrition Coordinator – PHO; Ms. Nuelia P. Zaldivar, Health Education – PHO; Ms. Crescini S. Roxas, Nutrition Coordinator– PHO; Ms. Mary Jane F. Alianza, Nutrition Coordinator – DA.; Engr. Carmelo Orbista, DILG; and Ms. Venus G. Villanueva, information officer–PIA.
The theme for this years’ nutrition observance is “Wastong Nutrisyon Kailangan, Lifestyle Disease Iwasan.” Salient objectives are: a) increase awareness of proper nutrition against non-communicable diseases (NCD’s); b) encourage individuals to prefer healthy diet and adopt healthy lifestyles; and c) establish optimum environment for proper nutrition in the home, school and work places. The highlight of activities for the month includes poster making, slogan contest, healthy baby contest, and community programs held at provincial, municipal and barangay levels.
Ms. Arcenio revealed that 2008 nutritional situation of public school children shows that 20 – 26 percent are below normal, 72-74 percent are normal while 6-10 percent are above normal or obese. On the other hand, Operation Timbang (OPT) conducted by PHO in 2006 shows that of the 70,809 pre schoolers, 88.23 percent are normal, 10.63 percent below normal (low), 42 percent below normal (very low) and 0.72 percent above normal.
Ms. Alianza mentioned that DA’s nutrition intervention scheme is to implement “Gulayan sa Paaralan” in partnership with DepEd. Here, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist provides free vegetable seeds and technology transfer to teachers as well as pupils. Products from the school garden form the core of the school’s feeding program, she said.
The crucial factor is provided by the PHO in the supervision of Brgy. Health Workers (BHW’s) and Brgy. Nutrition Scholars (BNS). Health personnel although engaged in the delivery of primary health care are also involved in nutrition education and distribution of fortified food. Virtually, nutrition education starts from conception up to man’s twilight years according to PHO Chief, Dr. Santamaria.
Nutrition education is integrated into DepEd’s teaching curriculum. The agency has a complement of nurses and dentists who regularly conduct health and nutrition seminars and facilitate OPT reports. Economically depressed municipalities like Madalag and Libacao whose school age population are at risk of malnutrition are given one (1) kilogram rice/child/day. Other towns that may be targeted are Malinao, Makato, Buruanga and Balete said Ms. Arcenio. The office has replaced the highly controversial noodle feeding plan with powdered malunggay that can be used as additive for any dish, dessert or beverage.
Lifestyle diseases are a modern day plague that are preventable by knowledge of basic nutrition and renouncing living to excess. The leading killer diseases are cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Altogether 58 million deaths worldwide have been attributed to lifestyle disease in 2005 according to WHO.
Meanwhile, Ms. De Lemos advocates breast-feeding for optimum health care and growth of babies and mother’s welfare. There is no infant milk formula in the world that can rival mothers’ milk in terms of quality, digestibility and food value, she declared. Breastfeeding increases a woman’s immune system to breast, cervical cancer, and early pregnancy. Executive Order No. 51 of DOH strongly advises mothers to breastfeed their babies for at least six months to insure proper nutrition and resistance to diseases.
Issues and concerns are on reliability of OPT data conducted by PHO-DOH and DepEd on pre-schoolers and school-age population. It should be underscored that evaluators are implementers them-selves. Hence, accurate picture of what’s going on can be eluded by prejudice and secrecy.
Given the fact that teachers are saddled with heavy workloads, PHO is confronted with limited personnel, obviously the task of monitoring and evaluating nutrition intervention schemes be logically taken over by an independent private polling agency. The annual budget of P1.0 million for operational expenses of Prov’l. Nutrition Com-mittee must be increased in order to have a scientific random collection of data from 327 barangays of Aklan. Report could be the basis for an in-depth review of the nutrition program and recommend concrete measures to mitigate the problem.
Our BHW’s and BNS have been part and parcel of the health department for four decades, yet this work force is not fully integrated into the System. In some far flung communities where doctors, nurses and midwives are not available, these volunteers work full time as first aiders, trained hilots/midwives and teach basic health education. Uplifting their morale can go beyond receiving a monthly pittance pay of less than a thousand pesos and free hospitalization. Indeed they are also family breadwinners and are most likely to give their level best if given the realistic remuneration they highly deserved.
A rejoinder is for Provincial Nutrition Committee to be innovative in their nutrition intervention approaches like classifying all barangays into high risk and low risk areas. Nutrition awareness can be done with school feeding programs like tasty fortified snacks (nutribun) and calamansi juice managed by PTCA’s. The Committee should monitor school canteens where junk foods sold and are patronized.
Giving out rice defeats the purpose of nutrition intervention since mal-nutrition problem in the country is primarily deficiency of protein, vitamins and minerals. Funding for school feeding program may be secured from Special Education Fund and IRA of barangays. Largely untapped are countrywide Development Fund of Cong. Florencio T. Miraflores and other agencies like USAID, AUSAID, and other sources available.
Nutrition program of the government appears to be ineffective given the big number of agencies and civic organizations that need to be coordinated. Furthermore, there is nominal commitment of resources particularly funding and personnel to achieve the goal. At least, there is increasing awareness about the program and that’s some consolation. /MP
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