CEBU CITY, Cebu, June 14 (PIA) -- “Invest in nutrition programs and craft and implement local nutrition action plans.”

This was the call made by the National Nutrition Council Regional Nutrition Coordinator of Central Visayas, Dr. Parolita Mission, to re-elected and newly-elected mayors who will assume office on July 1, amid the challenges of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and rising fuel prices that impact on costs of basic commodities.

As July is also the annual observance of National Nutrition Month, Mission said this year’s theme “New Normal na Nutrisyon, Sama-sama Gawan ng Solusyon,” calls for strengthened nutrition intervention and solidarity towards nutrition improvement, as the country shifts towards living with the COVID-19 virus.

Mission said the theme signifies the importance of nutrition in building resilience from pandemic to endemic paradigm.

At the height of the pandemic, 62% surveyed households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, said Mission, citing the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) as source.

In the same survey, 56.3% of the households reported having problems accessing food during community quarantine period due to the following factors: No money to buy food (21.1%); No or limited access to transportation (21.6%); No money due to loss of job (19.5%), Limited food stores in the area (10.8%), and Elderly (no other members to buy food at 5.1%).

The DOST-FNRI also reported that 48.9% of the children were not able to participate in the Operation Timbang Plus (OPT+) due to the pandemic.

OPT+ is the annual weighing and height measurement of all preschoolers 0-59 months old or under five years of age to assess nutrition status and provide priority interventions in the community.

Access to maternal health services was likewise interrupted during the lockdowns as 39.1% expressed fear going to the health facility while 13% had no money to go to the nearest health facility.

The DOST-FNRI survey revealed that 15.5% of pregnant women failed to have prenatal check up.

Mission said it is evident that the pandemic resulted to disruptions in the delivery of services including nutrition and increased hunger incidence, food insecurity, and unemployment.

Moreover, a slight increase in malnutrition among children five years old and below was recorded in Central Visayas, based on the NNC 7’s OPT+ data.

Figures showed underweight children rose to 4.9% last year compared to the 4.2% in 2020, and overweight and obese children from 2.7% in 2020 to 3.1% in 2021.

Stunting affected more children in Region 7 less than five years of age in 2021 at 72,179 compared to the 60,819 in 2020, the OPT+ data reflected.

Among the areas with high prevalence in almost all indicators (underweight, stunting, overweight and obese) were Mabinay, San Jose, and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental and Catmon in Cebu.

With a fresh start or change of administration in the local level, Mission said local government units (LGUs) must formulate and implement local nutrition action plans that are aligned with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028.

Mission urged incoming mayors to increase their support and invest in nutrition programs and improve access to health and nutrition services.

With the implementation of the Mandanas Ruling, LGUs now have the increased financial resources to include nutrition agenda in their local development plans, said Mission.

“We need to raise awareness on the importance of nutrition in building resilience and recovery from the pandemic and move forward in the New Normal,” stressed Mission. (FCR/PIA7)