The new Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) from 2023 to 2028, recently launched by Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., is a five-year roadmap to combat malnutrition that calls for whole-of-society interventions to increase Filipino’s access to nutritious food and promote better feeding practices, especially for babies and children.
“Nutrition is most critical in the first 1,000 days of life – from day one of pregnancy and up to the second year of birth of a child. If left neglected, poor nutrition results in child stunting, which is irreversible, and more importantly, poor brain development,” said Herbosa, chair of the National Nutrition Council governing board.
The PPAN is the country’s 11th national plant to eradicate malnutrition since 1974. Since then, micronutrient deficiencies, or the lack of essential vitamins and minerals required by the body, among Filipinos have dropped to a level below public health significance, while the prevalence of underweight children has also declined.
However, problems remain, and the new PPAN seeks to address all forms of malnutrition “with a particular focus on stunting and wasting, overweight and obesity, poor infant and young child feeding practices, and micronutrient deficiencies.”
According to the Council, the Philippines remains to have “high levels of child stunting with 26.4 percent or 1 in every 4 children under 5 years of age are short for their age.”
Children with stunted development are four times more likely to die, have reduced intelligence quotient by as much as 11 points, and have 22 percent reduced earning potential. On a macroeconomic level, the Philippines loses about 1.5 to 3 percent of its gross domestic product annually because of child stunting.
Conversely, the NNC also pointed out a steady increase in overweight or obese Filipinos.
Under the PPAN, there are three major interventions: increasing availability and access to nutritious food; social and behavioral change for better feeding practices; and improving access to quality nutrition services.
As the struggle against all forms of malnutrition continues with government at the lead, we are hopeful that this time, the people who will be implementing the PPAN can ensure that more Filipinos have access to nutritious food and generally improve eating practices so our people can live healthier and more productive lives.*
