DESPITE the lower turnout of malnutrition in Davao City, the City Health Office (CHO) said it is still prevalent in 10 depressed barangays.
CHO identified the following barangays as nutrition depressed areas, namely barangays Gumitan, Baganihan, Dalaglumot, and Marilog Proper in Marilog District; barangays Sumimao, Tapak, and Colosas in Paquibato District; barangays Megcawayan and Lampianao in Calinan District; and barangay Sibulan in Toril District.
CHO nutrition officer Beth Banzon said these areas are categorized as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (Gida) with no access to food and health services.
She said these areas are considered progressively left behind due to lack of road infrastructure for the delivery of goods and services.
“Maong gina-encourage gyud namo sila na magtanom sa ilang tagsa-tagsang tugkaran. If ang parents ‘di hilig magtanom sa ilang tugkaran, wala sila source sa ilang pagkaon kay di pud sila abunda sa pagkaon (We are encouraging them to plant vegetables within their own backyard. If these parents will not plant, they won’t have sources of food since food are scarce in their areas),” Banzon said on Thursday, July 4, during the iSpeak media forum at the City Hall of Davao.
She also said people living in these areas are no longer planting vegetables in their own backyards.
With this, Banzon said the Gulayan sa Barangay program must be strengthened to encourage more residents to plant their own vegetables.
She said CHO, in partnership with the barangay nutrition scholars and officers, are continuously monitoring these depressed areas with severely acute malnutrition (SAM).
To address the SAM in some areas in the city, former Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte launched the Community Integrated Management for Acute Malnutrition (Cimam) in 2013.
It has since reduced malnutrition throughout the years.
On Monday, CHO head Josephine Villafuerte said the SAM status in the city is now at its lowest this year, with 0.9 percent.
Banzon, meanwhile, said the underweight and prevalence rate in the underweight and moderately acute malnutrition (MAM) has also reduced this year with two percent.
According to her, there are only 4,699 underweight children with a prevalence rate of 2.48 percent, while there 1,245 MAM children with prevalence rate of 0.65 percent.
Also, children with stunted growth in the city had reduced to 5.53 percent prevalence rate, comprised of 8,625 children.
Banzon, however, admitted that not all barangays in the city are covered in their study.
“We are trying our best to look into tanang puroks aron matimbang tanang bata (all puroks to observe and weigh these children) because malnutrition is a very big problem. Hinay-hinay man gud siya mag lead into death (This would slowly result to a child’s death),” she said.
She also said a special lane for malnourished children is also open at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for chilren at least 59 months old to address their needs and to avoid further complications.
Banzon also encouraged the public to refer any child suffering from malnutrition to the nearest barangay health centers.