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LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—The Department of Health in the Ilocos region released Tuesday, March 1, the results of a study that showed a “significant decrease” in the prevalence of malnutrition among children, with three out of 10 children ages 0 to 5 years old considered “underweight and severely underweight.
Under the “Operation Timbang Plus (OPT+),” the regional DOH noted a decrease in the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among the age group covering four provinces and nine cities in the Ilocos region.
The study highlighted how it was a “big challenge” to ensure that the most vulnerable and affected people were able to meet food consumption and other basic needs, said Paula Paz Sydiongco, Ilocos nutrition chairperson and DOH regional director, in a statement.
OPT+ noted that 2.51 percent or 3 of 100 preschool children in the region were underweight and severely underweight; 3 percent overweight and obese; 4.21 percent stunted and severely stunted, and 1.60 percent wasted and severely wasted.
The same data showed a decrease of 0.17 percent from 2.68 percent in 2020 in the prevalence of underweight and severely underweight children in the region.
Prevalence rates for stunted and severely stunted, and wasted and severely wasted among preschool children also decreased by 0.65 percent (from 4.86 in 2020) and 0.33 percent (from 1.92 in 2020), respectively, the DOH said.
Data also showed that the prevalence of overweight and obese preschool children still stood at 3.0 percent in 2020 and 2021.
With the full devolution of health services, local governments are urged to sustain the improvement of their malnutrition rate, said Sydiongco.