KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- The National Nutrition Council (NNC) 12 is strengthening its communication arm, the Nutrition in Development Organization of Social Educators (Nutri-DOSE), to ensure that vulnerable groups are able to grasp the idea of practicing a healthy lifestyle.

During the recent Nutri-DOSE meeting, Retsebeth Laquihon, regional nutrition program coordinator of the NNC XII, highlighted the important role of communicators in disseminating information on good nutrition.

“Napaka-important po ng role ng mga nutrition practitioner from the media sector for influencing those vulnerable groups towards positive behavior on nutrition,” Laquihon said.

She added that the NNC XII is looking forward to expanding the reach of the communication group by not limiting the membership to quad media alone. Laquihon said strengthening the Nutri-Dose will include membership of information officers and health educators from local government units and concerned government offices. 

Through this, addressing malnutrition will become a multisectoral approach, according to the nutrition official.

“Kung multisectoral ‘yung effort na magdisseminate ng information, then cost-effective and cost-efficient ‘yung strategy,” Laquihon emphasized.

The Nutri-DOSE was organized in 2015 to help in the dissemination and promotion of good nutrition.

Meanwhile, based on the 2022 SOCCSKSARGEN nutrition situation, the regional data of malnutrition among zero to 59 month-old children showed an improving or decreasing trend for stunting, wasting, and underweight and a fluctuating trend for overweight or obesity from 2020 to 2022.