The Department of Health (DOH) recently concluded the first phase of its 2022 initiative focused on supporting the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and the nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women in combating malnutrition in the country. Under the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project , a community-based approach will be mobilized to easily aid local community programs in supporting critical behavioral changes for improved nutrition outcomes among children and women. Stakeholders Engagement Plan (SEP) from the World Bank defines a community-based implementation and monitoring as “provision of grants to proposed community subprojects focused on improving the health and nutritional well-being of project beneficiaries (and especially pregnant and lactating women, and infants and young children under the age of 5 years).
” “Special attention is given to nutrition interventions in households with children in their first 1,000 days to contribute to the reduction of stunting and malnutrition in the country,” the DOH’s release read. Additionally, adolescent girls will also be included as beneficiaries, ensuring that their overall health and nutritional well-being are improved before puberty and reproductive years. During a mayor’s forum held in Tacloban, Manila and Davao, the health department revealed that they successfully rolled out the first tranche of 560 million pesos to 235 local government units (LGUs) last July.
Through performance-based grants,.