Makati City malnutrition rate lowest in Metro

The prevalence of malnutrition among Makati City’s residents is the lowest in Metro Manila, the National Nutrition Council said.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said the city’s nutritional status has improved significantly over the last four years, with its malnutrition prevalence rate down from 1.82 percent in 2003 to 1.72 percent in 2004, then from 1.53 percent in 2005 to 1.2 percent in 2006.

Based on the year-end report of the Makati Health Department (MHD) for 2006, only 736 out of 61,412 pre-school age children were found underweight during the latest "Operation Timbang" conducted by the Makati Health Department’s Nutrition Office in 26 barangays, exclusive of posh villages.

Binay attributed this low figure to the city government’s successful implementation of nutrition and health programs.

"The remarkable improvement in the city’s malnutrition prevalence rate serves to validate the effectiveness of our programs aimed to promote nutritional adequacy and total wellness among all our constituents," Binay said.

Aside from its weighing activities, the Nutrition Office has been implementing an integrated "nutrition program" focused on high-risk groups like children, who Binay regards as the "richest human resources in the city."

"We have sustained our drive for proper nourishment among our children through the years primarily to ensure that they grow up with healthy minds and healthy bodies. We are, in fact, laying the foundation for them to become great leaders of the future," Binay said.

The Makati Nutrition Program includes, among others, nutrition information and education for parents, center-based feeding, dry rationing and emergency feeding assistance targeting families of underweight children.