Philippines: Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition for Children 0-2 Years Old in the Philippines

A quarter of Filipino children under the age of 5 are underweight. The recent energy, food and financial crises have added to the challenge set by the government of reducing the prevalence of underweight to 17.25% by 2015. The Joint Programme is supporting these efforts, concentrating on improving exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in children 0-2 years.

This programme is using social marketing strategies to support exclusive breastfeeding, including behaviour change communication. At the local level, it is galvanising multi-sectoral duty bearers to create an enabling environment for pregnant and lactating women, where the rights of the child to appropriate infant feeding are supported and protected.

To strengthen the nutrition information system, the quality of data reported through the system from the local through to the national level is being reviewed and a district level early warning nutrition and food security system is being developed.