by: Flordelis E. Jackson
NAVAL, Biliran – “I would like to thank the health workers in the eight municipalities of Biliran province for their all out efforts in the effective implementation of the nutrition program which is a key factor in bringing down the count of underweight children to 12.4%”, said Dr. Alfonso Veneracion, Provincial Health Officer, during the Kapihan sa PIA on Thursday (January 3) live at Radyo Nation-Naval.
He congratulated the municipal health officers (MHOs), nurses, midwives, barangay health workers (BHWs), barangay nutrition scholars (BNS) and other medical workers for coming up with effective strategies and interventions to reduce malnutrition in the area.
He informed that before the year 2008, 30% of the entire count of children in Biliran, 0-5years old were underweight, age against weight, but in 2012 it’s down to 12.4%
The significant reduction in the count, he added, was due to the effective implementation of the Infant and Young Child Program implemented by the Biliran Provincial Health Office (PHO) through the eight municipal health offices of the province down to the barangays through the BNS, BHWs.
“One of the focus of said program is exclusive breastfeeding from 0-6 months, then after this period, supplemental feeding will be introduced, but breastfeeding will continue until the child is two years old and even beyond. Breastfeeding will keep the baby healthy, will not easily get sick, and usually grows to be an intelligent child,” he said.
“The regular conduct of mothers classes in the barangays was also a factor in the reduction of malnutrition in the province,” he added.
Likewise, he informed that as of 2012 the prevalence of wasting, which means the relation of the weight of the child against his height was reduced to 3.3%.
In his parting statement during the Kapihan forum, Dr. Veneracion said, PHO-Biliran will work even more to bring down the present count of malnourished children in Biliran province.
The province of Biliran was awarded the Best Performing Province on Nutrition Program in 2012. The award was given by the National Nutrition Council in December, 2012. (PIA 8 Biliran)