NNC steps up First 1,000 Days program in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 19 (PNA) -- The National Nutrition Council (NNC) is stepping up its awareness campaign on Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention Package (ECCD-IP) program for full implementation next year.

The ECCD-IP focuses on First 1000 Days program, which addresses the call for a “holistic approach to the provision of health, nutrition, education, and social welfare services to the first 1000 days of a child’s life.”

“We focus in the first 1,000 days because growth faltering happens in the first two years of life,” said NNC regional nutrition program coordinator Catalino P. Dotollo, Jr.

The First 1,000 Days has been called the “golden window of opportunity” for a comprehensive package of nutrition and related interventions to achieve significant changes in reduction in child stunting, underweight and wasting, at the same time contribute to complete child development.

The campaign will be concentrated in areas tagged as recipients of Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP). These are all villages of Baybay City and the towns of Mahaplag, Abuyog, and Hilongos in Leyte province.

The interventions include conducting of nutrition education classes for mothers twice a month, providing gardening tools to promote backyard farming and school-based gardening. These programs are geared towards nutritional developmental of a child.

The NNC launched the program in recipient areas last month through an orientation in partnership with members of the Harmonized Initiative of Media for the Spread of Good Nutrition and municipal nutrition committees.

Specifically, the program will reach out to pregnant women, mothers with children 0 to 2 years old and conditional cash transfer program beneficiaries. (PNA)
FPV/SQM/DARA PEARL P. DACUYAN, LNU INTERN/EGR