Second Update Malnutrition

Background of the Problem

Water is a basic need and according to the United Nations access to it is also a human right. It is an essential part of daily life and in maintaining good health. Safe water is utilized by humans through sanitation, food production, and hydration. Unsafe drinking water can lead to so many serious health conditions and even death. Every year many people, most especially children, suffer from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances caused by diarrheal diseases. It might be an easily preventable problem, but still many people are seriously affected by this especially those living in poverty-stricken communities where water is considered a luxury. In these areas, water sources are usually communal or public and there is no purification method used for drinking water.

In Barangay Maras, there are a couple of different water sources used by the residents and most of them are communal and are not yet confirmed to be potable. The households situated near the highway get their drinking water from a dug wells with hand pump and a few would buy from the nearby water-refilling station. Some households are connected to the piped spring water system established by the Local Officials but the water is rationed and still limited. Along the highway, an average of 25-30 households share 1 water source. In the areas far from the main road, drinking water is taken from an open dug well or a protected spring. Purok Waling-Waling is the only purok that has no water source of its own and people would walk in distances even as far as 200 meters through dense grasslands and narrow roads on top of cliffs just to get water. In terms of water storage and purification, the residents utilize covered containers, which most of them clean regularly, but not all purify their drinking water.

Solution

To manage these problems, approaches must be focused on changing the negative practices of the community, mobilize the people, and utilize available resources to improve the situation of the water sources.

Sustainability

Community involvement is the best way to ascertain sustainability of the programs that will be implemented. All throughout the process, from the identification of the problem up to the evaluation of results, the people must be actively involved to instill the sense of ownership and cooperation in them. The local leaders must also be empowered so that they will be motivated to guide the people effectively and provide independent decisions in managing the projects.

malnutrition update

APRIL 2021 IMPLEMENTATION

We are all in the midst of pandemic. Majority of efforts of healthcare teams worldwide are geared towards ending this war against the “invisible enemy.” But that hasn’t stopped our mission of helping solve some other persisting healthcare problems ravaging our society. One such epidemic may affect the future of humankind, more so that this COVID-19. That is malnutrition, a problem that never fades in our country, but with the right resources and implementation of solutions, can be modified, or even be eradicated.

During this pandemic, we were limited to doing work from our homes. Rapport was reestablished and constant communication between the researchers and the Barangay Maras Council, Public Health Nurse (PHN), Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), and Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BHS) was instituted. This proved vital, as even with the line of communication being unstable at time due to the Barangay’s poor connectivity, we were able to successfully implement some key actions against malnutrition.

We mainly focused on Information, Education and Communication (IEC) dissemination on the problems of malnutrition, and principles on key government strategies and advocacies in combating this problem, such as the NNC’s 10 Kumainments, Pinggang Pinoy, and the DOH’s First 1000 Days of a Child. To achieve this, we first had to procure IEC materials from the Regional NNC Office, just here in the city. Our deepest gratitude goes to Ma’am Nimfa D. Ekong, RND, MDM, for welcoming us into her office and granting our requests for flyers, manuals, and audio visual files that were utilized in our Mothers’ class in the Barangay.

We then collated the IEC materials gathered, along with other paraphernalia that we’ve reproduced and digital files such as PowerPoint presentations and infomercials dubbed in the native Bisaya. It was delivered to the Barangay via courier. Finally, it’s time to execute. Through our ever active PHN, Ma’am Ailyn Catalan, we’ve implemented two important mothers' classes, held on separate dates, with different agenda targeting our key demographics, the Mother and the Child.

For our soon-to-be mothers, we’ve conducted a Mothers’ class scheduled together with their regular prenatal checkups last April 20, 2021 at the Maras Barangay Health Center. 26 mothers participated, as Ma’am Catalan provided supplemental lectures using the IEC materials and PowerPoint presentation on Breastfeeding and the First 1000 Days of a Child that we supplied. It was a success, as their post test results reflected positive scores. We hope that the knowledge we’ve imparted to these incoming mothers will help them raise their children towards a better future, through the prevention of the child’s malnourishment.

On April 26, 2021, we held another Mothers’ class, this time at the Barangay Covered Court to ensure social distancing of a larger crowd (48 Mothers of 54 children ages 0-59 months.) With Ms. Catalan’s supplemental lectures, and the IEC materials we’ve turnedover, a lecture on Malnutrition was successfully done, putting emphasis on the key advocacies of our Health Department such as the 10 Kumainments for a healthy lifestyle, and Pinggang Pinoy for daily nutritionally balanced meal. We have also played videos on proper handwashing, a way to not only prevent the spread of the virus, but also to avoid parasites from entering a child’s body. At the end of the class, Ms. Catalan demonstrated the proper use of MUAC tape, to help mothers monitor their child’s nutritional status. Results were satisfactory, as the return demonstration was fruitfully executed by the mothers, and the post test results yielded positive scores.

We may have done less that what we’ve planned to do for this exposure, but we still see this as a step in the right direction. We believe that we have gradually enabled the Barangay into becoming one that is free of malnutrition in the future, God-willing.

April 2021 Accomplishments:

Mother's class: a lecture on "First 1000 days of a Child", deworming, proper hand sanitation and proper breastfeeding
Training on Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurement
IEC materials distribution
Updated masterlist and enrollment of malnourished children ages 0-59 months

Upcoming Activities:

Following the protocols of social distancing, wearing of face masks, disinfection, and limiting movement to only essentials in the context of COVID-19 New Normal Setting, the following upcoming activities are as follows:
- Cooking shows based on the principles of Pinggang Pinoy and 10 Kumainments
- Focus group discussions on causes, risk factors, and effects of overweight and obesity on children
- Feeding program in partnership with Daycare Center and the Barangay Maras Council
- A quarterly weigh-in of children ages 0-59 months will be strictly implemented by the Barangay Nutrition Scholar, scheduled on the 1st week of January, April, July, and October
- A Memorandum of Understanding will be notarized and entered by the Barangay Council and MAMMs
- Launching of breastfeeding corner at the BHS
- Lactation Stations will be deployed at different public areas in the barangay, in compliance with RA no. 10028.
- Posting of IEC materials on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and deworming on strategic areas
- Intersectoral linkages for establishment of a communal gardening
- Assured lectures with community residents regarding proper gardening