AN administration lawmaker on Friday asked the government to implement a maternal and childcare program in every barangay covering the first 1,000 days of an infant’s development from the womb up to two years of age to reverse chronic malnutrition among poor Filipino children.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte made the proposal through House Bill 1340, or the proposed “First 1,000 Days Act” which refers to the care that a woman and her child are entitled to under this proposed program from Day One of the mother’s pregnancy up to the period when her child reaches 24 months, which encompasses 1,000 days.
“The first 1,000 days of a child’s life is most critical for growth and development. Consequently, hunger and poor nutrition during this period can have irreversible consequences,” Villafuerte, a former three-term governor who now represents CamSur’s 2nd district in the House of Representatives, said.
Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares has filed a similar bill in the Senate calling for the establishment of a maternal and child care program in every barangay that would also cover the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life.
Citing data from the latest National Nutrition Survey, Villafuerte said “overall malnutrition or stunting rate for Filipino children aged zero to two was at its worst in the last 10 years at 26.2 percent in 2015—an indication that growth was not inclusive and that inequality between the rich and the poor continued to widen.” Maricel V. Cruz
Villafuerte said the maternal and child care program covered by HB 1340 includes nutritional counseling, immunization and vitamin supplementation for the mother; intensified community-based food production projects to ensure the adequate supply of nutritious foods; exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and complementary feeding.
The program also includes psychosocial services for pregnant and lactating mothers; complete immunization services for children; treating malnourished children with special and therapeutic food; and general family counseling, including child and family development.
Under HB 1340, the Department of Health and its National Nutrition Council are tasked to develop the barangay-based maternal and child care program in coordination with the Departments of the Interior and Local Government and of Social Welfare and Development, and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.