Nutrition council eyes reducing mortality rates
This year’s July Nutrition Month celebration focuses on child-bearing women and others of reproductive age with emphasis on the importance of proper nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy to ensure a healthy mother and baby.
This after the National Nutrition Council-7 revealed that an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 mothers die because of child birth and complications globally. Four million babies less than one month old die with 300,000 newborns on the first day of life.
In the country alone, 107.1 mothers die for every live birth. About 30 infants die per one thousand live births.
Dr. Parolita Mission, NNC-7 Nutrition Program coordinator, said that the major causes of maternal deaths are complications related to pregnancy occurring in the course of labor, delivery, and puerperium; hypertension, post-partum hemorrhage, and pregnancy with abortive outcome.
Neonatal deaths, she added, are due to pre-term birth and asphyxia, severe infection like pneumonia, diarrhea, and neonatal tetanus.
With aspiration to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 that seeks to reduce maternal mortality by three fourths in 2010, the nutrition celebration this year chose to address the concerns of pregnant women.
The month-long celebration will be launched on July 1, with “Panagbug-os alang sa Luwas nga Pagmabdos”, a gathering of pregnant women at the
Services would include pre-natal check-up, dental care, tetanus toxoid immunization, iron/folic acid supplementation, nutrition education, counseling on responsible parenthood, laboratory services, and freebies.
On the 13th, a Buntis Congress will be held in SM City-Cebu where there will be exhibits on pregnancy and other services, technical sessions on nutrition of pregnant women, breastfeeding, and related topics and entertainment.
This year’s Nutrition Month celebration banners the theme “Sa wastong nutrisyon ni mommy, siguradong healthy si baby!” — Jessica Ann Pareja and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/MEEV
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