MANILA, July 31 (PNA) — A lawmaker has proposed to institutionalize the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and counseling for all pregnant and lactating mothers on proper nutrition for their children.
Rep. Sharon S. Garin (Party-list, AAMBIS-OWA) filed House Bill 5914, which seeks to create the “First 1,000 Days Program” to decrease the number of stunted and wasted children and to improve the welfare of pregnant and lactating mothers nationwide.
In pushing for the bill, Garin cited the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which reiterated the importance of the first 1,000 days of children from conception until 2 years of age.
According to scientific literature, the right nutrition during the first 1,000-day window can have an enormous impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn and rise out of poverty.
In line with this, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF are encouraging mothers to do the exclusive breastfeeding, which means feeding with no food, water or any milk substitutes during the first six months of the baby’s life as this highly ensures that infants have a better chance of survival, growth and development.
Under the measure to be known as “The First 1000 Days Program,” the program shall be divided into three stages: pregnancy until birth, 1st day to six-months and six months to two years.
The bill aims to address the issues of undernourished kids aged 0-2 years old and unhealthy nursing mothers nationwide through the provision of nutrition supplements, check-ups, vaccination, counseling, public information drive, monitoring and breastfeeding centers.
According to Garin, diet and nutrition play a crucial role in the overall development of a child. The UNICEF said the Philippines is ranked 9th in the world contributing to the global stunting malnutrition burden, with six million Filipino children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Of all the issues of malnutrition in the country, stunting malnutrition or being too short for one’s age is one of the most critical and serious impediments to human development potential.
“Long term effects such as reduced schooling, grade failure and lower per capita household income in adulthood are just some of the results of malnutrition during the first years of a child’s life,” she added.
It has also been noted that the country posed a high maternal mortality rate of about 200 deaths per 100,000 live births with anemia as one of the major causes of these deaths. The WHO stated that in 2011, 29 percent of non-pregnant women and 38 percent% of pregnant women aged 15-49 years old were anemic. This affects half a billion women of reproductive age worldwide.
Moreover, Garin cited a report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) stating that only 56 percent of mothers receive assistance from health professionals during childbirth.
The measure mandates the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to establish a framework to monitor the status of women during and after their pregnancy and the status of their children.
The DOH shall monitor the overall implementation of the program and shall also lead the distribution of supplements, administration of check-ups and vaccinations in the different barangay nationwide.
The bill further mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to help and coordinate in the implementation and monitoring of the program in all barangays nationwide. (PNA)