Addressing Stunting in the Philippines

This project aims to support the Government of the Philippines’ efforts to address stunting among children under the age of 5 (CU5) by improving local health system governance and service delivery. Specifically the project seeks to help build the capacity of select local governments to plan and implement a multisectoral program for nutrition focusing on the first 1000 days of life in line with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023 to 2028. Project activities include: (1) training health service providers to improve provision of nutrition information and services (e.g. iron folic acid supplementation antenatal care exclusive breastfeeding complementary feeding zinc complements among others); (2) raising awareness in communities to promote equal caregiving responsibilities among parents and improve feeding practices for CU5; (3) advocating for the integration of nutrition interventions in key programs such as cash transfer program and food supplementation initiatives of the national government; (4) building the capacity of local government officials and health service providers to better track and report on nutrition interventions across relevant sectors and programs (e.g. food security education social welfare); and (5) engaging civil society and women’s rights organizations in nutrition planning and monitoring at the municipal level. This initiative reaches approximately 140 000 individuals particularly pregnant women and CU5 in select provinces in the Philippines.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased use of gender-responsive nutrition services among children under 5 and pregnant women in 4 provinces in the Philippines; and (2) enhanced implementation of multisectoral and gender-responsive nutrition programs by local governments in four provinces in the Philippines.