PH HAS 26% RATE OF STUNTING, DOH SAYS

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Wednesday (Dec. 4, 2024) that the country has a 26 percent rate of stunting, or “pagkabansot” in Filipino.

“Mayroon tayong 26 percent ng stunting… ito ay dahil sa chronic malnutrition. ‘Yung mahabang panahon na hindi nakakain ng tamang sustansya ang isang bata,” he said in a radio interview.

Aside from stunting, Herbosa mentioned that child obesity is also a concern. However, the government will prioritize addressing stunting.

Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered the DOH to campaign for healthier food options to combat malnutrition and stunting.

“We have to educate people to eat healthier options. We go back to the main point, I think, is how do we consolidate all of these things that we are doing,” Marcos said.

“Well, I think Ted (Herbosa) is doing many things already. Pero may gaps sa coordination at may overlap. I’m sure there’s some wasted effort and funding there. So, I think that’s where we can focus on,” the Chief Executive added.

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