House approves bill enhancing health, nutrition programs for women, children

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to strengthen programs that address malnutrition and other health issues among pregnant and lactating women and young children.

With a vote of 227 in the affirmative and zero in the negative, the chamber approved House Bill 5777, which aims to provide a more comprehensive, sustainable and multi-sectoral approach in addressing health and nutrition and a policy environment conducive to improving nutrition.

Under the measure, nutritionally at-risk individuals—particularly pregnant, lactating and teenage mothers; women of reproductive age, especially adolescent girls; and children from zero to 24 months old—will receive health and nutrition services as provided in bill.

Also prioritized in the provision of health services are people living in disaster-prone and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Health and nutrition services and intervention for women, infants and young children will be administered during the first 270 days (conception and pregnancy – prenatal period, women about to give birth and immediate postpartum period, postpartum and lactating women); 180 days (birth and newborn period, first six months of infancy) and 550 days (infants six months up to two years of age).

Services that will be given to adolescent girls, girls of reproductive age and teenage mothers, on the other hand, include age-appropriate vaccines, oral health services and anthelminthic drugs for de-worming. — BM, GMA News