High Incidence of Malnutrition

      Previously on the High Incidence of Malnutrition episode in the barangay, the team has started the 120-days feeding program in the day care. A large-scale community garden was also constructed, and seedlings have been planted. The current status of the barangay is that 72% (143/199) of the households have their own backyard vegetable gardens.

     

      The most recent data collected revealed that 25% of children aged 0-71 months are malnourished. 8% are underweight, 17% are stunted, 1% are severely underweight, and 6% are severely stunted.

   

      This decrease in the incidence of malnutrition can be related to the previous activities and efforts of both the team and the mothers in the community. The community garden is now flourishing due to the continued maintenance and gardening of the mothers from the different clusters. A barangay tanod is also assigned to look over the garden once in a while. Vegetables are plentiful and are already available for harvest to be cooked at the day care

      Due to the frequent rainshowers this exposure, several vegetable crops died causing a decrease in vegetable produce for the day care. To reimburse the slight loss, the team decided on constructing a nursery vegetable plot in the team’s very own home backyard. Two plots were tilled, and several varieties of vegetable seedlings were planted for carefully monitored growth. When the crops start budding, they will be transferred to a pot and re-planted in the community garden. Should the weather conditions not favor the replanting however, the mothers, are invited to harvest the crops from the nursery backyard. Once in a while, mothers visit our homes to harvest the budding crops and re-plant them in their community garden or acquire seedlings for new planting.

      This exposure also brought about newer health teachings for the mothers at the day care, expecting mothers, and lactating mothers. A detailed health teaching on food groups (Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats) was conducted for the mothers of children studying at the day care.

    

         Expecting or pregnant mothers were also gathered at the barangay health station where they were given a health teaching on maternal nutrition and the importance of prenatal check-up.

      The same pregnant mothers – with the addition of postnatal mothers – were given a health teaching on maternal nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding.

     

      And finally, the men and women of the community were given a health teaching on Family Planning, discussing the importance of birth spacing, and the use of appropriate contraceptives, with thorough health information.

      Future activities in the barangay are as follows:

Ø  Conduct a “Value Meal” cooking contest with a limited budget of 50 pesos for mothers and primary care givers of identified malnourished children.

Ø  Conduct seminar on importance of iodized salt utilization.

Ø  Continue provision of varied vegetables generated from community garden.