BANGUED, Abra (PIA) – The nutritional status of children below five years old in the Cordilleran is improving with all forms of malnutrition on the downtrend, based on the 2023 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus data.
Compared to the 2021 OPT plus results, there is a significant decrease of wasting, stunting, underweight and overweight last among Children aged 0-59 months last year.
The National Nutrition Council (NNC)-Cordillera Regional Office shared the data during the last leg of the Regional Nutrition Summit for Abra held in Vigan City.
NNC-CAR Nutritionist Mary Joyce Delfin presented that under stunting or children with low height for their age, the 2023 OPT Plus results showed 5.96 percent of prevalence, which is lower than the 8.89% in 2021. There is also a decrease in the underweight category from 3.29% in 2021 to 2.44% last year.
For wasting or children with thin physique for their age, the prevalence also decreased from 1.51% in 2021 to 1.04% last year. Same is true also with the overweight and obese category from 2.27% in 2021 down to 2.02% last year.
Delfin lauded the local nutrition action officers as all results in CAR are below the regional prevalence rate limit.
“Lahat po ng trend ay bumaba from 2021 to 2023, so congratulations sa bawat isa sa atin kasi hindi natin maa-attain itong pagbaba ng malnutrition rate dito sa Cordillera kung wala po ang efforts ng bawat members in Council,” Delfin said.
While Abra still tops the prevalence of all forms of malnutrition in CAR, there is a progressive decrease of all the categories through the recent years.
NNC-CAR Regional Nutrition Coordinator Bella Basalong said that the decreased in malnutrition prevalence was caused by the collective efforts of the members of LNCs of the province and municipalities, and as well as the dedication of Barangay Nutrition Scholars who are the frontliners in implementing nutria-related programs in the grassroots. **JDP/CAGT – PIA CAR, Abra
