Nutrition Month’s focus: Eradicate hunger

The National Nutrition Council in Central Visayas (NNC-7) has designated July as Nutrition Month with focus on hunger eradication.

The theme for this year’s celebration, “Hunger and malnutrition, let us end it together!” underscores the need for stakeholders to participate in addressing hunger.

Dr. Parolita Mission, NNC-7 coordinator, said hunger will lead to malnutrition. Mission said hunger mostly occurs in places where there are poverty thresholds resulting from armed conflict, natural disasters, environmental degradation, rapid population growth, lack of agricultural infrastructure and soaring food prices.

Hunger may even lead to illness, and in most cases death.

In Cebu, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWSD-7) will conduct a supplementary feeding program for 120 school days for children aged 2-4 years old in public pre-schools throughout the Central Visayas starting July 1 to address malnutrition and in celebration of National Nutrition Month.

Iron-fortified rice will be served to the children beneficiaries during lunch time.

Melinda Canares of the DSWD-7 said the local government units will shoulder the cost for viands to be served with the meal.

The feeding program is in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is also celebrating the National Year of Rice.

Grace Dagala of the DA said the department is supporting the nutrition program and encouraging the children and their families to plant vegetables in their own backyard as these are good for their health.