Health and Nutrition Programs for 1,000 Days

Health is a fundamental right guaranteed by the State.
The State protects and promotes people's right to health.
Guarantees adequate food, care, and nutrition to pregnant/lactating women, adolescent girls, women of reproductive age, and children 0-2 years old.
Commits to improving human resource quality, reducing maternal/child mortality, and combating malnutrition.
Prioritizes nutrition interventions during the first 1,000 days of life using an integrated whole-of-government approach.
Allocates sustainable resources to address malnutrition and ensure growth and development.

Provide multisectoral strategies to address health and nutrition challenges of young children, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent females.
Establish a policy environment conducive to nutrition improvement.
Implement evidence-based nutrition interventions including responsive caregiving and early stimulation.
Define roles of agencies such as DOH, NNC in nutrition programs.
Institutionalize nutrition within national and local development plans.
Ensure active participation of government agencies, LGUs, CSOs, and the private sector.
Enforce the Milk Code and Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act to protect infant feeding.
Uphold nutrition-related laws, gender equality, and child rights.
Strengthen family and community support systems.

Collaboration among DOH, NNC, DA, NGAs, LGUs, and CSOs.
Develop comprehensive strategies addressing health, nutrition, and development of infants, young children, adolescent females, and pregnant/lactating women.
Operationalize national nutrition plans aligned with government and Sustainable Development Goals.

Target nutritionally-at-risk groups: pregnant/lactating women including teenagers, adolescent girls, women of reproductive age, and children 0–24 months.
Focus on vulnerable groups in disaster-prone, geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA), and impoverished communities.
Prioritize LGUs based on malnutrition prevalence, facilities/capacity, and local support.

Breastmilk Substitute: milks marketed for infants/young children up to 3 years.
Chronic Energy Deficiency: condition of negative energy balance due to inadequate intake or absorption.
CSOs: non-profit organizations including NGOs, professional associations, community-based organizations.
Early Stimulation: external stimuli to develop infants' cognitive, emotional, physical, and social abilities.
First 1,000 Days: period from conception through 24 months of age.
GIDA: isolated or underserved areas with limited access and high poverty.
Malnutrition: includes undernutrition (stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies) and overnutrition (overweight, obesity).
Moderate and Severe Acute Malnutrition: defined by WHO growth standards.
Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions: address immediate vs underlying determinants of nutrition.
Responsive Caregiving: attentive and appropriate response to child needs.

DOH coordinates implementation with NNC, DA, LGUs, and NGAs.
Implementation at barangay level via rural health units and barangay health centers.
Mobilization and support for Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs).
LGUs encouraged to integrate maternal and child health-nutrition programs in local plans.

Prenatal Period: pregnancy tracking, antenatal care, maternal immunizations, nutrition counseling, micronutrient supplementation, health promotion, social welfare support, maternity protection, parent-child interaction support.
Women About to Give Birth/Postpartum: support birth and breastfeeding plans, adherence to mother-baby friendly practices, monitoring labor, support for high-risk newborns, nutrition counseling, family planning, non-separation of mother and child.
Postpartum and Lactating Women: follow-ups, lactation support, nutrition assessment, community support groups, workplace lactation provisions, micronutrient supplements, family planning, social welfare.
Birth and Newborn Period: baby-friendly practices, skin-to-skin contact, newborn care and screening, immunization, referral systems, breastfeeding support, social welfare.
First Six Months of Infancy: exclusive breastfeeding support, immunizations, growth monitoring, illness management, hygiene, social welfare, emergency support.
Infants Six Months to Two Years: timely complementary feeding, nutrition counseling, supplementation, monitoring, illness management, oral health, hygiene, child protection.

Priority delivery of nutrition and psychosocial services in affected areas.
Immediate provision of emergency food supplies to mothers and children.
Creation of women and child-friendly spaces with breastfeeding support.
Prohibition of unauthorized milk formula donations per Milk Code.
Guidelines development including gender-sensitive standards and protection of vulnerable groups.

DOH and NNC provide training to upgrade skills of BNS, BHWs, and other personnel.

DOH Secretary (Chair), DA and DILG Secretaries (Vice Chairs), other key government secretaries.
Three private sector representatives appointed by the President from health, women’s groups, farmers, urban poor, CSOs, academe, etc.
Private sector members must be free from conflicts of interest.

A liberalized procurement mode for program needs subject to Government Procurement Policy Board approval.
Priority to local and community-based suppliers.

Regular impact assessments and consultations with stakeholders by NGAs and LGUs.

Initial funding charged to DOH, DA, NNC budgets and other agencies.
Continuous funding through General Appropriations Act based on malnutrition and child mortality prevalence.
Priority LGUs eligible for supplementary funds.

DOH to promulgate IRR within 90 days of effectivity, in coordination with NNC and stakeholders.

Takes effect 15 days after publication in Official Gazette or newspaper of general circulation.