Child undernutrition is a staggering and persistent problem in the Philippines. This was revealed in the results of the 7th National Nutrition Survey (NNS) of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST).
The results of the survey showed that underweight among 5-10 years old is 32.4 percent while underheight is 33.9 percent. Specifically, undernutrition in Region 8 (or Eastern Visayas), where this study was conducted, revealed that among 5-10 years old, underweight is 38.2 percent while underheight is 47.1 percent.
Undernourished children find it hard to learn and therefore do less well at school.
According to Dr. Florentino Solon, renowned nutrition expert and former Director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP), one of the major nutrition interventions being applied to address undernutrition among children is supplementary feeding.
Supplementary feeding reduces the gap between an individual’s actual consumption and requirements especially when food products served are fortified with essential micronutrients.
The FNRI in its continued efforts in finding solutions to improve the nutritional status of Filipinos has collaborated with the Coca-Cola Export Corporation in developing a nutritious beverage.
A previous efficacy study done in San Juan, Metro Manila showed that rate of anemia was significantly reduced from 100 percent to 13 percent among the schoolchildren who consumed the fortified ready-to-drink (RTD) juice for 100 days.
Similarly, a large-scale effectiveness study done in Quirino Province covering 5000 schoolchildren consumed the same RTD juice drink showed significant decrease in anemia rate from 100 percent to 60 percent.
However, interventions are useless without established mechanisms for delivery which are critical to both the effectiveness and the cost of any intervention.
To date, there is a dearth of information on the evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategies implemented through large-scale programs using established delivery systems.
Thus, in a subsequent project, the fortified RTDs were shipped from the Manila or Cebu Coca-Cola Processing Plant to the Coca-Cola Tacloban Plant and were hauled to the schools every two weeks.
The study done in Tacloban City, aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a pre-developed model on school-based nutrition delivery system and its effectiveness on the nutritional status of schoolchildren.
Two schools were selected as study sites. RTD juice was given to children for 120 feeding days.
Results showed that the consumption of the fortified RTD juice contributed to the improvement in weight, height, and hemoglobin level (or Hb) of school children.
Moreover, a supplementary feeding program can also be a venue to instill good values like praying before and after eating, proper table manners, as well as proper hygiene among school kids as these traits are being taught in the feeding activities.
However, to realize maximum effect of a supplementary feeding program, supply must be continuous and at a regular interval.
Program implementers, like school heads and teachers, must be willing and responsible in sustaining the feeding program.
The presence of a focal person for monitoring is also crucial in facilitating program implementation and relaying observed gaps that need to be addressed.
Complete and prompt accomplishment reports will serve as tools in validating program outcome and as reference in planning for future intervention programs.
(FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service:IMELDA ANGELES-AGDEPPA, Ph.D./PIA9/ALT)
