Samar has most nutritionally poor towns -- NNC

published February 09, 2010 in BusinessWorld

PALO, LEYTE -- Eight out of the top 10 nutritionally depressed municipalities in Eastern Visayas this year are on Samar Island, the National Nutritional Council (NNC) last week reported.

Carina Z. Santiago, NNC regional nutrition program coordinator, said the report is a wake-up call to local government units with poor performance in achieving gains in nutrition.

"We will request local government officials to invest in malnutrition programs. I wish they can identify programs that they will implement. It’s about time to call members of the municipal nutrition committee to talk about how to help malnourished children," Ms. Santiago told BusinessWorld.

The town of San Vicente in Northern Samar posted the highest malnutrition prevalence in the region with four out of every 10 preschool children having shown below normal weight.

Other towns with poor performance in fighting malnutrition are Gamay in Northern Samar (32.39%), Sta. Margarita in Samar (31.78%), Pastrana in Leyte (30.76%), Sta. Rita in Samar (29.76%), San Isidro in Northern Samar (29.73%), Lavezares in Northern Samar (29.48%), San Miguel in Leyte (29.21%), Sto. Niño in Samar (29.2%), and Lope de Vega in Northern Samar (28.54%).

Nutrition officials will visit the nutritionally depressed areas to assist in local planning.

Eastern Visayas has 105,241 malnourished children, representing 18.22% of preschoolers weighed in 2009.

Ms. Santiago said Samar province posted the highest malnutrition prevalence in 2009 at 25.95%, slightly up from 2008’s 26.03%.

Northern Samar, which used to be the most nutritionally depressed province in the region, showed an improvement as malnutrition rate decreased to 23.62% in 2009 from 26.32% in 2008.

Ms. Santiago said the fight against malnutrition should start during pregnancy. Breast-feeding should be followed with proper complimentary feeding.-Sarwell Q. Meniano