Child health and nutrition shape the future of individuals, communities, and nations. In the Philippines, chronic child malnutrition continues to hinder learning, reduce productivity, and perpetuate cycles of poverty, threatening long-term economic growth as the country aspires to become an upper middle-income nation.
This book compiles evidence and insights on the state of child health and nutrition in the Philippines, with a sharp focus on the persistent challenge of chronic malnutrition, or stunting. Chapter 1 outlines the health and nutrition status of children in the Philippines, including inequities, and examines the macro-fiscal implications for the nation. Chapter 2 presents evidence on the determinants of socioeconomic inequity and the trajectories of child stunting. Chapter 3 highlights public spending aimed at addressing nutrition. Chapter 4 discusses the last-mile challenge in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and its impact on child health and nutrition. Chapter 5 analyzes the state of food systems in the country and their effects on children's access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. Chapter 6 assesses the impact of social protection initiatives, particularly the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), on nutrition outcomes. Chapter 7 reviews the implementation of the country’s national strategic plan for addressing malnutrition, the Philippine Plan of Action for 2017–2022. All these insights and recommendations are synthesized in Chapter 8.
This volume presents a cohesive narrative on the ways forward to raise the bar and tackle chronic malnutrition in the Philippines.