MANILA – The fight against child malnutrition continues as Nestlé Philippines kicks off the third year of United for Healthier Kids (U4HK), an advocacy aimed at creating public awareness and action on malnutrition among elementary schoolkids to give them a better future.
Initiated by Nestlé Philippines along with private and public sector partners, U4HK continues to provide nutritional education to parents, teachers, and communities to increase involvement in adapting healthier eating habits for the family.
“Cultivating healthy eating habits among kids is a global priority by Nestlé. In the Philippines, U4HK aims to help broaden Filipino parents and millennials’ awareness about the prevalence of child malnutrition, and the need to provide healthy everyday meals to Filipino children even with a limited budget. The advocacy seeks to work with likeminded organizations and parents to develop creative ways to share, donate and volunteer,” said Paolo Mercado, Nestlé Philippines’ Senior Vice President for Communication, Marketing, and Innovation.
The 8th National Nutrition Survey conducted by FNRI in 2013 reveals that 29.1% of children from ages 5 to 10 are undernourished. While this is a decrease from 2011 figures (32%), the number of malnourished children remains high and warrants immediate action. The research further shows that the prevalence of malnutrition is caused by inadequate intake of food, with more than half of the local households failing to meet the daily nutrient and energy requirements. All these set against the context of faster population growth, which further exacerbates the shortage of resources and poses a threat on the supply of food and on the nutritional status of households in the Philippines.
“The real measure of development is how a country takes care of its children. U4HK represents the fundamental principle that all children have a right to be properly nourished to be able to reach their full potential. The responsibility falls on all Filipinos who want to make a difference in helping raise a healthier generation of children,” shared Mr. Mercado.
To know more about U4HK, visit www.facebook.com/u4hkPH.
