Nutrition Surveillance: Lessons from a Pilot Project, Philippines

Abstract

The estahlishment of an effective surveillance system depends partly on the level of organization of both the health and nutrition sectors. Since 1974, all nutrition efforts in the Philippines have been unified under a national policy and action umbrella — the Philippine Nutrition Program (PNP). Delivery of nutrition services like food assistance, health protection, nutrition education, food production and family planning is done through the organization of nutrition committees on various levels from region to barangay. Such committees are composed of area heads of agencies like health, agriculture, social services, local government and community development, ecucation and other religious and civic organizations. To date committees have been organized in each of the 12 regions and 72 provinces, in 93 percent of the 1,500 municipalities and in 73 percent of the 42,000 barangays. Roughly 76 percent of the municipalities have some nutrition activities being undertaken based on the municipal nutrition plans formulated, the budgets of which have been approved by the Municipal Development Council.

The authors are Chief of Data Bank and Evaluation Section, Nutrition Center of the Philippines, Executive Director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines and the National Nutrition Council and Deputy Director of the same center respectively. Financial and technical assistance came from the United Nations Emergency Children’s Fund. Substantial assistance was provided by Ophelia Mendoza, Rose Jagolino, Lerma Moreno and Milagros Gonzales in the writing of this paper.