Davao City boosts health, nutrition drive

July 22, 2022

In line with the celebration of nutrition month, the City Government of Davao, through the City Health Office (CHO) Nutrition Division has revved up its delivery of general health services and nutrition information campaign.

This, after the city government observed a slight increase in cases of severely underweight children last year, attributed largely to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2021, Davao City recorded a 96.58 percent prevalence rate of children with normal weight which is slightly higher than the 96.48 percent prevalence rate recorded in 2019. However, the city’s severely underweight prevalence rate of 0.43 percent (or equivalent to 782 children) in 2020 increased slightly to 0.45 percent (a total of 789) in 2021.

The city is also monitoring obesity cases which rose from 585 (0.32%) in 2020 to 1,179 (0.67%) the following year.

CHO Nutrition Division head Elizabeth Banzon, during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday, said the CHO has enhanced all of its mobile health and nutrition campaigns, since the city lifted its movement restrictions due to the pandemic.

Banzon admitted that the overall decreasing trend of malnutrition cases before 2020 was hampered by the health crisis.

“From 2019, medyo nagbaba man ta sa atoang prevalence. Naningkamot pud ang atoang mga communities, apil ang parents, pero dili gyud maiwasan due to pandemya man pud. Daghan kaayo’g nadistract sa pandemic na ni. (From 2019, our prevalence rate was decreasing. Our communities, including the parents, worked hard but the effects of the pandemic were unprecedented. Many were distracted by this pandemic),” Banzon said.

“Ang delivery sa atoang nutrition and other related services nagpabiling efficient services (Our nutrition and other related services remain efficient),” she added.

Now that all health services have become fully operational, with consideration to minimum public health protocols, the CHO called on all Dabawenyos to visit the nearest barangay or district health centers to avail themselves of free health services, especially those targeting children. The services include immunization, dental care, general and diet consultations.

Banzon said children’s health and nutrition should be fostered during pregnancy, as she urged pregnant women to avail themselves of free prenatal services. The CHO also encourages mothers to breastfeed their infants.

“We are encouraging all the pregnant women na magbalik na ta sa health centers kay naa na ta’y services. By following also the health protocols, magpa-prenatal ta. We are reiterating that we should have our deliveries sa atong mga hospital para iwas maternal deaths, iwas pud infections. We are promoting exclusive breastfeeding from 0 to 6 months old (We are encouraging all the pregnant women to visit our health centers because we now have services. With consideration to health protocols, they must avail pre-natal services. We are reiterating that we should have our deliveries in our hospitals to reduce the risk of maternal deaths and infections),” Banzon said. CIO