MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, July 19 (PIA) -- The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) here kicked off the nationwide celebration of nutrition month last week with a nutrition fair held at the covered court of Taraka town, this province.
The fair showcased different health services which catered to the nutritional needs of the people especially that of children and women, said IPHO Chief Dr. Alinader Minalang.
He said they offered dental services, maternal services, immunization, vaccination, blood pressure taking and introduced food supplements such as insumix.
Aside from that, family planning counselling and nutrition lectures for pregnant women including proper breast feeding were also provided.
We did all this to ensure proper nutrition among mothers and children in the area, he added.
Also joining the kick off program were representatives from IPHO partner agencies such as World Food Programme, Zuellig Family Foundation, Regional Nutrition Council and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority who provided free haircut and massage services during the event.
Minalang said they have to double their efforts and scale up their services through multi-sectoral approach and inter-agency collaboration to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.
The problem on hunger and malnutrition is very challenging because our status is not improving very well and that the country is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the number one of which is to eliminate poverty and malnutrition, he said.
The Nutrition Month celebration this year is anchored on the theme “Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-Sama Nating Wakasan,” to raise awareness on the need for more action in addressing hunger as part of the country’s commitment to the MDG of eradicating poverty and hunger.
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