Preventing chilhood stunting: Why and how?

Abstract

According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), childhood stunting can affect one-third of under-five children annually,1 or roughly 3.78 million Filipino children in 2015. A big chunk of this number comes from the poorest of the population, where one in every two children under five suffers from stunting. Sadly, the Philippines has shown little progress in reducing its prevalence in the last 20 years, despite its lasting consequences on one’s health, learning, and economic productivity (DOST-FNRI 2016). While cost-effective interventions are known, the more crucial concern is how to make them work in the Philippine setting. Drawing from the ideas of Herrin (2016), this Policy Note asserts the need to adopt a nutrition agenda focused on stunting prevention and the effective delivery and finance of its cost-effective interventions. The adoption of such agenda is a strategic move to ensure greater impact on health and education, and on inclusive growth in the long run.