DOH, UN partner to address malnutrition in Philippines

The Department of Health (DOH) and several agency partners of the United Nations (UN) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in addressing malnutrition in the Philippines.

The agreement is part of the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) which adopts a bold multi-sectoral approach to achieve nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across 235 local government units across the country, as well as 40 municipalities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said that the DOH’s partnership with the UN is a testament to their shared commitment to building a healthier and better future for the Filipinos, particularly women and children. 

“The PMNP is a recognition that nutrition is not just a matter of health. The Marcos Administration sets this intervention as part of its foundation for social and economic development by ensuring women and children’s access to the first 1,000 days of services as a critical investment in our country’s human capital,” he said. 

The collaboration between DOH and the UN, including UNICEF and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), would provide healthcare equipment and supplies, basic primary care and nutrition commodities, multisectoral information systems development for localized decision-making, capacity building for frontline healthcare workers, community health navigation, and health and nutrition leadership and governance for local chief executives. 

It will also enhance the DOH's access to global expertise, information, and resources by leveraging the UN’s portfolio of programs and initiatives.

During the launching of the PMNP in March, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. urged lawmakers to develop and enshrine into law policies that will help eradicate malnutrition and uplift the standards of primary health care and nutrition in the Philippines. — BM, GMA Integrated News