Saving children from malnutrition

World Vision donates 26 new salter scales to its community in Pangasinan as part of its advocacy in promoting basic community health services to children.

Salter scales gives an accurate body weight reading of young children. A child’s weight and height determine if a child is undernourished or not for his/her age.

“World Vision continuously supports the effort of the local government to address malnutrition and providing basic health care to children so that a child will have full development later in life,” Dannadel Vilar, World Vision Program Officer in Pangasinan, says.

Malnutrition is a condition where a person’s diet is inadequate to supply the right nutrients that the body needs. A malnourished child can have the following conditions: underweight, stunted, wasted (underweighted for one’s height), micronutrient imbalance, overweight and obese.

Worldwide, around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years old worldwide are linked to undernutrition^*

In the Philippines, 95 children die from malnutrition, and 27 out 1000 died even before their 5^th birthday^**

“An undernourished child oftentimes experiences poor school performance and are sickly,” Vilar adds.

World Vision continuously promotes healthy and nutritious food diet and breastfeeding to address malnutrition. Health centers in rural communities regularly check on a child’s health to prevent malnutrition. With adequate equipment, a health worker can provide a child with optimal health care service.

Sources:

* WHO website – KEY FACTS: MALNUTRITION

** UNICEF Philippines – CHILD SURVIVAL