Hunger and Malnutrition, Let Us End It Together!

   

   

            Food is the basic need of man. It is the prerequisite to sustain life and maintain good health. In general, all organisms need food. However, man being the superior of all organism needs complex kind of food.          

           Nutrition Month is the annual campaign held every July to create greater awareness on nutrition among Filipinos (Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines. The National Nutrition Council(NCC) coordinates the nationwide celebration including the identification of an annual theme to focus on a priority nutrition concern.

           The 39th Nutrition Month celebration focuses on hunger with the theme "Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-sama Nating Wakasan! the theme underscores the need for active multi-stakeholder participation to address the basic causes of hunger. The objectives of this year's celebration are to: a.) increase awareness on hunger issues and actions to mitigate hunger and malnutrition; b.) encourage stakeholders to contribute to addressing hunger issues; and c) advocate for stronger political action to end hunger.

           Hunger is a condition in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients for fully productive, active and healthy lives. Prolonged hunger can lead to malnutrition and even death. Hunger is a form of food insecurity. There is no hunger when there is food security or when 'all people, at all times, have physical,social and economic success to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

           The NNC Technical Committee has approved the focus of this year's Nutrition Month to focus on hunger. The reasons why they've decided it because, first, hunger is one of the worst forms of deprivation particularly because people do not enjoy their basic fundamental right - the right of food. second, there is also the need to fast track actions to reduce hunger to meet the first Millennium Development Goal on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Third, hunger incidence in the Philippines has worsened in recent years affecting more Filipino families. And fourth, addressing hunger contributes to national growth and development.