In Quezon, health care program starts in mother’s womb

LUCENA CITY—In Quezon province, Q1K is not a gizmo tag or a text code but a symbol of hope for a brighter future for the province’s people packaged in a novel child health program.

The program, dubbed “Quezon’s First 1,000 Days,” seeks to bring health care to women and their children starting with the first 1,000 days of children’s lives when they are still in their mothers’ wombs.

“If we really want to fight poverty, we need to start right,” said Quezon Gov. David Suarez of the program. “We need to ensure the health of children right there at the womb of their mothers until their birth and formative years.”

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute , in a 2015 report on nutrition among children, said the Philippines has the worst chronic malnutrition rate (26.2 percent) in the world among children 0-2 years old in the last 10 years.

Malnutrition in the first two years of a child’s life leads to physical and mental deficiencies that are permanent and irreversible, according to numerous health studies. The first 1,000 days of life are the most crucial in a human being’s cognitive and physical development.

“Health care, during this period, will have a lifelong impact on the child,” Suarez said.

The Q1K program was started in 2014 in 12 Quezon towns—Buenavista, Catanauan, General Nakar, Jomalig, Lopez, Mauban, San Andres, San Antonio, San Francisco, Tagkawayan, Tiaong, and Unisan. It had 1,000 pregnant women as initial beneficiaries. It was formally launched in July last year.

Most beneficiaries had given birth and babies taken care of under the program “are all healthy,” said the governor.

Free services, lectures

The provincial government has set up a Q1K office at the Quezon Convention Center in this city. It is manned by health workers with basic medical equipment and a task to spread the health program in the entire province.

Under the Q1K program, beneficiaries are provided free prenatal checkups, lab tests, ultrasound services and health supplements.

It also gives lectures and training sessions on nutrition and health, responsible parenthood and livelihood opportunities.

Technical expertise comes from the Southern Luzon State University, Early Childhood Care and Development Council and National Nutrition Council (NNC).

Last month, the Department of Health and NNC, at the 2016 Nutrition Month celebration here, recognized Suarez and the Q1K program as “first champion” of the 1,000 days health regimen.

Rep. Anna Marie Villaraza Suarez, of the Alona party-list group and the governor’s spouse, filed House Bill
No. 899 inspired by the Q1K program.

The bill seeks to put in place a comprehensive maternal and child health care program in every village nationwide./rga