Data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) revealed that malnutrition kills approximately 95 children in the Philippines every day.
Also, due to malnutrition, some 27 out of every 1,000 Filipino children die before the age of five.
Moreover, at least one-third of Filipino children are stunted or underdeveloped for their age due to the lack of nutrition.
After the age of two, stunting can be severe, incurable, and even deadly.
In addition to high rates of stunting and newborn deaths, low regular vaccination coverage and a lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities threaten children's survival and development in the Philippines.
The country indeed faces a big challenge in mitigating malnutrition that has remained unchanged for almost thirty years.
However, the National and Local Governments, together with various organizations, have been steadily working hand-in-hand in prioritizing nutrition because it all starts with small steps that will lead to a significant impact.
The Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) Pro of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) ensures the effectiveness of program outreach, funding allocation and expenditure, and policies issued by cities and municipalities in the country.
The MELLPI Pro gives importance to proper documentation as it is evidence-based. It also doesn’t only recognize good practices and outstanding local nutrition focal points, but it addresses gaps and challenges a city or municipality can improve as well. By focusing on even the smallest steps, one can learn more about what works and what doesn't—then doing more of what works could snowball, creating a chain reaction of new actions.
