CHN Campaign Newstrail by World Vision Development Foundation

CAMPAIGN N EW S T R A I L U P DAT E S O N T H E C H N C A M PA I G N I N T H E P H I L I P P I N E S

Volume 1 Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN Solon urges collleagues

April-September 2012

Policymakers affirm support to child health

to fund pregnant mom’s health

insurance

ABOUT CHN World Vision’s Child

Health Now

The Philippine quest to achieve MDGs 4

and 5

GALLERY Project launch series across the

Philippines

ADVOCATE SPEAKS I am an advocate of

child health

INTERNAL CAMPAIGN Child Health Now

drums up staff

advocacy

CHILD NUTRITION The best start: saving

children’s lives in their

first thousand days

LOCAL CAMPAIGN Local health partners

focus nutrition month

on child health

Congress Health Committee Chair Anthony Golez and CHN Celebrity Ambassador Tintin Bersola-Babao lead partners and WV officials in opening the two-day CHN photo and painting exhibit at the lobby of the House of Representatives during CHN’s launching ceremony.

wo members of Congress affirmed their support to child health during the Child Health Now Campaign launch at the House of Representatives, which called on policymakers to prioritize improvement of support systems that will help reduce preventable deaths.

Executive Director Elnora Bailen-Avarientos mentioned that the Child Health Now Campaign in the Philippines “draws upon multi-sectoral partnerships to influence policies, programming, and implementation of health initiatives that prioritize maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition (MNCHN).” Avarientos adds that the campaign “calls on the national government to increase budget allocation for child health, and similarly asks congressmen of the Child Health Now pilot sites to allot 10 percent of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to programs, projects, and advocacy work that support and invest on child health.” It is a paramount concern of the campaign as well to pursue and strengthen participatory budgeting process, as well as development planning for child health support at the national and local levels. Child Health Now Campaign further calls on Local Government Units in six pilot sites, to prioritize and include programs and projects on maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition in their Local Development Plan and Budget.

(continued in page 2)

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN Solon urges colleagues to fund pregnant moms’ health insurance

“M

y proposal- to call on my fellow colleagues here in Congress to allot a certain percentage of their sponsored PhilHealth beneficiaries to pregnant women in their first trimester.” Congressman Lorenzo Tañada III, Deputy Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives proposed this measure to other solons during the launching of the Child Health Now Campaign which he sponsored to be held right inside the Lower House.

Congressman Erin Tañada, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, sponsored the CHN National Launch at the House and speaks about the advocacies of his office for universal health care.

Tañada premised that providing pregnant mothers with access to health care during pregnancy will “effectively eliminate any cause of death in children due to the mother’s poor health.” In the same event, Dr. Honorata Catibog of the Department of Health reported an increase in maternal deaths in the Philippines from 162 to 221 per 100,000 live births between 2006 and 2010, citing the 2011 Family Health Survey. This means that an estimated 11 women die each day from highly preventable complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth. Delays in seeking and receiving appropriate care were cited by Tañada as the main reasons for maternal deaths, emphasizing that these are supposedly preventable. Tañada is a staunch advocate of universal health care in the country co-authoring the amendment of the National Health Insurance Act of 1995 into House Bill 6048, providing for Universal Health Care Services to all Filipinos. The House Bill was approved on third reading in Congress in May. He added that the advocacy for maternal health insurance will become part of his health agenda. And to make his stand on maternal insurance clearer to colleagues, he asked congressmen that for every 10 persons whose insurance they would sponsor, three should be pregnant women.

Congressmen affirms... (continued from page 1) In response to the call of the Child Health Now Campaign, Congressman Anthony Rolando Golez Jr. of the Lone District of Bacolod and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Health noted the “commitment of World Vision to bring to public attention the rights and needs of one of the vulnerable sectors of our society– our Filipino children and their rights to health.” Golez briefly discussed the various health bills which his committee pushed, including those that tackled expanded immunization and breastfeeding support, and assured World Vision that the Committee is a partner in its child health advocacy. Philippine figures from the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey puts child mortality rate to 34 out of 1,000 children born or children under five years who die of easily preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhea, malnutrition and lack of access to quality health care. Yet many of these conditions are preventable either with

affordable technologies such as immunization and early antimicrobial treatment, or with access to better health care and nutrition. Realizing the importance of maternal health in the survival of children, Congressman Lorenzo Tañada III urged colleagues to sponsor more pregnant women who could avail health insurance through the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth). He proposed that three in every 10 that a congressman sponsors should be a pregnant mother in her first trimester. Tañada premised that providing pregnant mothers with access to health care during pregnancy will “effectively eliminate any cause of death in children due to the mother’s poor health.” Congressman Tañada is the House Deputy Speaker and had hosted the Launching of the Child Health Now Campaign Philippines at the House of Representatives.

ABOUT CHN

World Vision’s Child Health Now

hild Health Now (CHN) is World Vision’s first global advocacy campaign on a single issue– the prevention of child deaths. While child mortality has been declining globally, the rate of reduction is much too slow in many developing countries (Lancet ,2008). Low-cost, simple interventions are not made equitably available and accessible, resulting in 24,000 children dying everyday. Kevin Jenkins,WV International President, considers this “the greatest child rights violation of our time”. WV launched this 5-year commitment in 2010 as part of its contribution to the attainment of MDG 4 and MDG 5 and hopes to “get governments to do more, so children have enough nutritious food and clean water, and access to health services”. The campaign aims to build on WV’s 1,600+ community programmes and combine development strategies with advocacy efforts at local and national levels. “World Vision is making a significant financial commitment to health in its own programmes, of (US) $1.5 billion over the next 5 years… and will also urge wealthy nations to fulfil their promises to improve conditions in the developing world. More than 190 world leaders have committed to achieve the UN’s Millenni-

um Development Goals by 2015. World Vision’s Child Health Now campaign calls on the internationalcommunity to rededicate itself to these goals.” These were the words of Kevin Jenkins, WV International President. The CHN campaign, which started on October 2010 in the Philippines, makes use of two strategies: a) Effective Advocacy Mechanism, and b) Behavioral Change Communication. It is both a national and local campaign. The national campaign draws upon WV’s partnership with the DOH and other national government and non-government institutions working in the area of maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition (MNCHN), in order to influence both policy and behavior change. The local campaign focuses on six (6) selected Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Philippines where WV’s Area Development Programs (ADPs) are located. The criteria for selecting the project sites are high poverty incidence, Maternal Mortality Ratios (MMR) and Infant and Child Mortality Rates (IMR and under 5MR), and prevalence of undernutrition among children.

The Philippine quest to achieve MDGs 4 and 5

he Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of the world’s aspirations aimed at significantly reducing poverty and “the worst forms of human deprivation” by the year 2015. Of the eight goals, two are directly and specifically about the child –MDG 4, which aims to reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five, and MDG 5, which aims to 1) reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio, and 2) achieve universal access to reproductive health care. By 2010, a review of progress towards the MDGs shows that the Philippines is doing only fairly well. According to NEDA (2010), substantial gains have been made, but the goals for universal primary education, reduction in maternal mortality and reversal of HIV/AIDS trends are unlikely to be met. In addition, there is only a medium probability that the goals to reduce poverty, the percent of the population not meeting their dietary energy requirement, undernutrition in children under 5 years, and improved access to safe drinking water will be achieved. These MDGs with medium and low probability all have a substantial impact on child survival and the quality of children’s lives. The Philippines is one of 55 countries that contribute to 94% of maternal deaths, and one of just 42 countries that account for 90% of under 5 deaths (WHO, WPRO CHIPS 2010). Compared to our ASEAN neighbors, the Philippines has lost ground in terms of MDGs 4 and 5. Malaysia and Thailand had achieved the child and maternal mortality reductions even before 1990, while Vietnam, who had been behind the Philippines in the 1970s and 1980s, marked faster reductions in these rates by the mid-1990s. We are now parallel to Indonesia, with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia rapidly gaining on us. (Excerpt from the World Vision’s Child Health Now Baseline Assessment, 2011) 3

GALLERY Project launch series across the Philippines

Veteran TV show host and journalist, Ms Tintin Bersola-Babao is the celebrity ambassador for CHN Philippines. As a breastfeeding advocate, she shares her own experience nourishing her two children the best possible way she knows how at the launch of the CHN campaign at the House of Representatives. Read her full speech here.

I am an advocate of child health*

ADVOCATE SPEAKS

By Tintin Bersola-Babao

*Speech delivered during the CHN National Launch at the House of Representatives, Quezon City, Philippines, July 31, 2012

am a mother of two kids : 7 year-old Antonia and 2 1/2 year-old Nio. Being a mom, I know that utmost care should be given to that precious life inside a mother’s womb, from the moment of conception, to the whole journey of pregnancy, ‘till the time of birth, of infancy, and beyond. Maternal care is an utmost concern: for it is in this phase that the fetus is developed. While I am fortunate to be able to afford all that is needed during my pregnancy, from monthly prenatal checkups, proper nutrition and vitamins, it is a fact that many women in our country, especially those who live in far-flung provinces are not being given adequate maternal care. I am an advocate of breastfeeding. I breastfed Anya for 8 months, exclusively – no vitamins, not even water. Just pure breastmilk. And I continue to breastfeed my 2 ½ year old and I intend to do this until he is 3 years old. With my first child Antonia, I breastfed her for 8 straight months EXCLUSIVELY. But I was a first time mom then, and didn’t know any better at that time, and so after 8 months, when she was already eating complementary solid foods, I made the mistake of listening to an ill advise– to give my first born formula. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would definitlely decide against giving formula. During my 2nd pregnancy, I met breastfeeding champions Dr. Elvira Henares Esguerra and Miss Nona Andaya Castillo, as well as Ines Fernandez of Arugaan and other breastfeeding moms from different breastfeeding support groups. I became enlightened and educated with the optimum benefits of breastfeeding and how a MOTHER’S MILK IS THE GOLD STANDARD and no other standard can match it or even COME CLOSE TO IT. A MOTHER’S MILK is pure, clean. Best of all, it is free. And so- with my second child Nio, I breastfed him EXCLUSIVELY FOR 6 MONTHS. And then at 6months, started to give him complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed him to this day that he is 2 1/2 years of age. There is no need to give formula because an infant, a toddler, a child can get all the necessary nutrients from natural foods like dark green leafy vegetables- spinach, alugbati, pechay, kangkong and most especially, malunggay which anybody, rich or poor, can easily plant and harvest at almost no cost. I believe that every mother could effectively breastfeed their child, if given the right information, support from her husband, fellow mothers and the community. The media plays a big role. That is why, within my reach– as a media person, a friend, a co-worker- I try to educate and enlighten moms to be – especially first time moms, about the supreme benefits of breastfeeding. All coming from personal experience. My son has not suffered any form of diarrhea because he is breastfed. Except for colds,

cough and the usual fever that comes after a monthly vaccine shot, my son has not been hospitalized for a major illness. And again, I know that his immune sytem is strengthened because of breastfeeding. While I respect the decision of other mothers to give formula to their babies, for reasons deemed valid and with basis, to each his own as they say, I still hope that through proper nationwide dissemination and with the continued efforts of the Department of Health and the NGOs, each mom will be educated and then make an informed choice; and hopefully make the right choice when it comes to their child’s health, welfare, growth and development. I once hosted a show entitled Busog Lusog, which was co-produced by the National Nutrition Council. It was in this show that we taught lessons on proper nutrition- that proper nutrition need not be expensive. We had an episode on the joys, miracle and power of BREASTFEEDING to give your child immunization at the time of birth. “This is why the child’s survival is directly linked to maternal health, as a baby is 10 times less likely to survive without a mother. Breastfeeding is equally healthy for the mother to recuperate from the stress of childbirth and become a better caregiver to her child. “ (notes from WV) In the said show, we showed that GOOD NUTRITION can be found right in your garden, even planted in a pot or on your roof – hearty vegetables that reign supreme in the nutrition scale. In this show, we taught easy to prepare nutritious and inexpensive meals, which the regular family of any Mang Juan can do. “The National Nutrition Council determines four windows of opportunities to reduce the incidence of undernutrition. These are: 1) infant feeding practices which basically involve exclusive and complementary breastfeeding; 2) maternal nutrition; 3) food and nutrient intake of children beyond breastfeeding; 4) and household food consumption.” (notes from WV)

“This is my advocacy . To be useful as a media person – a mother who acts as an inspiration and steward.”

Bottomline is, nobody in this nation should go hungry, no kid must be underfed, undernourished or malnourished- if only the Filipino is taught well the wisdom of proper nutrition . Each day of my life, I thank the Lord for the blessing of the water that springs from my faucet. It is not trivial gratitude, because I know that thousands die for they do not have access to clean water. And how I wish that every home would experience the blessing of having clean water, proper irrigation and sanitation. All important elements of good health.

(continued in page 8) 55

INTERNAL CAMPAIGN Child Health Now drums up staff advocacy

“I

f there’s anything that is close to my heart, it is child health (now) because I was a victim and a survivor,” emphasized Executive Director Elnora Bailen-Avarientos at the internal launching cer-

emony of the Child Health Now Campaign in the Philippines on April 30, 2012 at the National Office. Two regional launches were also successively done in the Visayas and Mindanao Field Offices on May 4 and May 7. Dir. Bailen-Avarientos narrates that she nearly died of measles with a complication of diphtheria at two years old, and remembers herself to have fallen ill every time she would celebrate her birthday, until she reached her fifth year. Although her “miraculous” survival of a preventable childhood disease was one to celebrate about, she bewails the alarming 34 child deaths in every thousand born in the Philippines. The figure is based on the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of the country. The series of internal launch of CHN in the country anchored on the theme ‘caring for those in need especially children’ and its main ceremony was a commitment to ensure that children reach their fifth birthday. Both the national office and Mindanao launches were conducted during the Monday devotions, while that of the Visayas region was during the leadership training of directors. The biblical basis of WV’s Child Health Now effort, Mark 5:21-43, was shared to the staff and was reflected on by speakers.

...If CHN is mainstreamed in all Area Development Programmes, World Vision can clearly say that it has saved mothers and children. - Elnora Avarientos WVDF Executive Director

Enjoining staff to advocate Child Health Now, Dir. Bailen-Avarientos expressed optimism that if CHN is mainstreamed in all Area Development Programmes, World Vision can clearly say that it has saved mothers and children. She also encouraged staff to know more about Child Health Now and start advocating for better health in their own families. In the three launches, management and staff also signed their commitment to support the campaign to help stop preventable maternal and child deaths. At the national office, a film showing and discussion by health partners livened up the rest of the launching day. Dr. Leslie May Madrazo, a pediatrician from the government hospital Quirino Memorial Medical Center discussed updates on essential newborn care to some 30 attendees. Participants were from World Vision’s partners NGOs and community based organizations, as well as national office staff. The video “The Breast Crawl” and a training video “Unang Yakap” were shown which were both depicting prop-

er care for newborns. Some participants who were volunteer community health workers also clarified on some practices which the speaker clarified to be outdated. Dr. Mariella Castillo of the Maternal and Child Office of the World Health Organization in the Philippines discussed the breastfeeding initiatives in the country which is linked to issues on the Milk Code. Dr. Castillo shared how they are campaigning for exclusive breastfeeding and mentioned that World Vision can help out by “keeping the flame alive” as she put it.

Six-year-old Precious, the youngest of children musicians who participated in the CHN internal launch at the WVDF-NO, blows the ceremonial birthday candle, with everyone’s prayer that more children would reach their 5th birthday like her.

Mothers and community health volunteers get updates from medical practitioners and videos on MNCHN practices including essential newborn care and breastfeeding.

CHILD NUTRITION

hen the United Nations declares a famine and the media transmits haunting photos of starving children with distended bellies, the world snaps to attention. Thousands die, donor nations and agencies rush emergency food aid to the affected areas and, after a while, the immediate crisis recedes from public attention. But the primary causes of the tragedy remain. So it is with the latest official famine in Somalia and the deteriorating food situation in the Horn of Africa, with more than 12 million of its inhabitants at risk of starvation or severe malnutrition. Many already suffer greatly the ravages of hunger and malnutrition. Indeed, it is this widespread but largely invisible malnutrition that continues to kill millions of children, long after a famine passes. And yet preventing undernutrition is much more effective than recuperating already undernourished children.

hen the United Nations declares a famine... the world snaps to attention.... But the primary causes of the tragedy remain.

The lack of a proper diet is the underlying cause of death for some three million children annually. Tragically, the weakened immune systems of these babies and young children put them at much greater risk of developing preventable illnesses like pneumonia and diarrhoea, from which they then have less strength to recover. In the developing world, more than 7,500 children under the age of five die every day as a result of undernutrition.That is a death toll of more than five every minute. Put another way, this death rate is equivalent to eight buses, fully loaded with children, crashing each hour of the day—and killing all aboard. No society would tolerate such hourly horrors, yet few have effectively grappled with eradicating this scourge. In 2000, world leaders established eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015. One of them is to reduce child mortality rates by two-thirds. While considerable progress has been made to achieve this goal, efforts need to be stepped up substantially to reach it in the next three years. But it can be done. Indeed, it must be done, unless we consider it acceptable to abandon the world’s youngest and most vulnerable. Addressing and overcoming malnutrition is a fairly straightforward, relatively inexpensive process—medical breakthroughs are not required. The world knows what works, and this report describes several World Vision programmes that have proven results. For any nutrition programme, education is a critical first step, especially for mothers, other caregivers and community health workers. Too many are unaware that babies up to six months old require nothing more than breast milk. Providing even a simple extra such as water is not only unnecessary, but can be harmful. Mother’s milk contains all the nutrients a growing child needs in these first six months to develop mentally and physically. Nothing better illustrates the point than the unnecessary and preventable deaths of some one million babies annually because they are not exclusively breastfed. After six months, however, babies require a variety of complementary foods, as well as nutritional supplements such as vitamin A and zinc, if these are not part of their normal diet. Vitamin A deficiency can cause blindness and kills almost 500,000 children under the age of five annually. As food prices soar around the world, providing children with a healthy diet with the proper nutrients becomes even more problematic, especially for poor parents.Yet, vitamin A can be provided to 80 per cent of children in developing nations for only about $1.20 per child per year. Such a measure could reduce related mortality rates by about one-quarter, saving over 100,000 children’s lives.

(Excerpt from the Best Start report,World Vision 2011)

LOCAL CAMPAIGN CHN local partners focus Nutrition Month on Child Health

“M

y whole community must work together to provide good nutrition for our own children,” realizes mother Carmelita Malinis during the Nutrition Month event in Oroquieta City which was organized through the partnership of World Vision Philippines, Himaya Development Project, and the local government unit. Like that in Malinis’ city, events which celebrated the annual Nutrition Month in July focusing on the urgency to im-

Mayor Edwin G. Elorde signs his support to the campaign for child health in his municipality of Bunawan-Agusan del Sur, during the town-wide celebration of Nutrition Month.

prove child health were also conducted in all the other Child Health Now local sites of World Vision. Events in all six areas were in partnership with the CBO, local government and health partners, well attended mostly by officials of the cities, towns and villages, community dwellers, children, and health workers. Celebrations in CHN areas emphasized the feeding of vegetables to children and the needed support of parents and local officials to ensure that children enjoy good health. The Child Health Now call to stop preventable deaths of children mainly through proper nutrition was emphasized in novelty events like cooking contests participated by gradeschool children, youth and mothers, organic vegetable fairs, art fair, walk-for-cause, and group dancing. Local officials and health authorities emphasized that parents

should be able to provide inexpensive, nutritious food to their children by growing their own vegetables. In Puerto Princesa City, a year-long search for the Most Prosperous and Healthy village was launched during the Nutrition Month kick-off in the city, and subsequent village-level search launch in 11 WV covered villages that have the highest incidences of malnutrition. "The Child Health Now Campaign intends to sustain World Vision's health intervention in covered areas here through the year-long ‘Search for Healthy and Prosperous Communities, Families and Individuals," says Bernadette Anzale, Program Officer of World Vision’s Golden Valley Area Development Program. In the policymaking support front, Estancia Town Mayor Rene Cordero announced that he will “ensure increase in budget for health next fiscal year,” and added his admiration to the contribution of World Vision and partner CBO Rising Sun Association for Development, Inc. (RSAI) to his city.

I am an advocate of child health...(continued from page 5) When World Vision invited me to become the Celebrity Ambassador of Child Health Now, I was deeply honored and acknowledged that a huge responsibility rests on my feet. World Vision showed me an AVP which stated a heartbreaking fact: every 3 seconds, a child under the age of 5 dies...due to preventable causes. “Our health figures and corresponding MDGs tell us that the inability to nurture a child at the early stage, at worst, may claim the child’s life due to preventable causes.” (notes from WV) I KNEW after watching that AVP that there was something I can do. There is something we all can do, should do, must do. It is a daunting task. And although I have been with media for almost two decades now, thus being exposed to the daily news, real life stories and documentaries about poverty and child deaths, in my own personal life, I am more than just simply aware of poverty: because it is alive and true and happening right now in the lives of my innermost circle – people who are close to me, people who are working for me. But I do my share. I teach people how to fish and not just give them fish. In my present work as a television host for the daily morning show at TV 5, called Good Morning Club, I host a parenting segment. I also have a column for the Philippine Star called ParenTintalk wherein I’ve written passionately about the joys of motherhood and breastfeeding. I also am the founder and creative director of www.parentin.tv - the first online parenting show in the Phils. This is my advocacy . To be useful as a media person – a mother who acts as an inspiration and steward.

“A MOTHER’S MILK is pure, clean. Best of all, it is free.”

It is therefore noteworthy that the government and development organizations, as well as advocates like me, have opportunities like the Child Health Now Campaign to partner and work together to prioritize children’s health. Our children cannot write their own Published bi-annually by healthy childhood stories. We, as parents and adult guardians, should realize that it is our responsibility to Child Health Now Philippines provide love and utmost care for their health and nutrition. Their well-being and future largely depends on us. May we all take a second look at child health and do more so that no Filipino child would suffer or die due World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. to preventable causes. Together we can save more children’s lives by promoting CHILD HEALTH….NOW! 389 Quezon Ave cor. West 6th St. As a mother, I dream of that day when no child would go hungry and child will die of hunger. I dream West Triangle, Quezon City of that day that every child will be given the basics to live a long and happy, healthy life: access to clean water, good sanitation, proper nutrition, education, love and care of the whole community. Because only then can a child grow up, live long, be productive and hopefully give back to the community someday. Only then we could all say, “we did our part well. We did our jobs well as parents, as human beings, as children of God.”