DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 May) – The city government has given this year more attention to solving acute malnutrition among children below five years old.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, city health officer, said Wednesday in the “Generation Nutrition” forum at the Royal Mandaya Hotel that the city is pushing the program due to “strong political will” and for being a tourist destination.[]
“Despite the development, we can’t deny that there are children who need help from acute malnutrition,” Villafuerte said.
She noted that a death certificate may show that a child died of diarrhea or malaria, but it will never show that the child died of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or severe wasting.
In her presentation, she cited the types of acute malnutrit
ion as normal, underweight, severely underweight, overweight or obese.
Based on the 2013 Operation Timbang (weighing) in the city, 2,107 children were severely wasted and 4,559 children were wasted.
Talomo South had the highest number of SAM cases with 340 children.
Thirty-four barangays do not have severe wasting cases but still have wasting or moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
Citing that there have been several feeding programs conducted in the city, Villafuerte said feeding will never help
children with acute malnutrition.
Most feeding programs, especially in public elementary schools, serve lugaw or arroz caldo (rice porridge), which what Villafuerte called “tawid gutom” for photo opportunities.
“SAM is a disease and it has to be treated,” Villafuerte said.
She said the city’s Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM), which was signed as an executive order by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte last Wednesday, will treat children with SAM.[]
