TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council 8 (NNC-8) is stepping up its nutrition program to malnourished children in Typhoon Odette-hit areas in Southern Leyte and parts of Leyte.
In a meeting held on December 28, the NNC-8 Technical Working Group learned that some 172 severely wasted and 606 moderately wasted children are in need of urgent intervention.
“The children are in an abnormal setting that without the intervention, their health and nutrition may be at risk,” said Dr. Catalino Dotollo, NNC-8 coordinator.
Dotollo said that on December 20, the NNC-8 team went to the typhoon-hit areas to assess the nutrition situation of the province.
Typhoon Odette hit the province on December 16 that affected a million residents in 18 towns and one city in Southern Leyte and six towns of Leyte.
Felecidad Borata, DOH nutrition officer also called for immediate intervention.
She said with the given situation, the children need ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) that can respond to the nutrition needs of the 172 severely wasted children.
She added that UNICEF will be coming to the province to assist NNC in its nutrition efforts.
As to those moderately wasted numbering to 606, ready- to-use supplementary food (RUSF) will be used for 90 days or until the child reaches the desired nutrition status.
Dr. Dotollo said there will be three teams that will implement the nutrition program to cover more areas.
Aside from the ready-to-eat food, NNC also requested UNICEF to provide basic nutrition commodities to include Vitamin A supplements, iron and folic supplements, iron syrup, zinc drops and micronutrient powder and others.
NNC-8 is also pushing for proper health and nutrition for more than 3,000 pregnant women.
NNC-8 also recommended mass measles immunization, and VAC supplementation; proper management of the Evacuation Centers particularly mother–baby- friendly spaces; and the water, sanitation and hygiene (wash) services to prevent the spread of diarrheal diseases.
The nutrition teams will be deployed on January 4-7, 2022 with the assistance of UNICEF to cover 17 towns and Maasin City in Southern Leyte and six municipalities of Leyte. (NBQ/PIA-8)
