KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato continues to strengthen its campaign against malnutrition and stunting through the deployment of Health Navigators, one of the province’s best practices in improving nutrition and health services in local communities.
Nutrition Officer II Noeleen P. Dumagdag said the province has expanded its community health workforce by adding Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and Health Navigators to complement the services of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) and enhance the monitoring of families.”
“Each health navigator is assigned to monitor 20 households, conducting regular home visits to assess the nutritional and health status of children and other family members. They also provide updated information directly to community midwives, allowing for faster identification of malnutrition and stunting cases and the timely delivery of appropriate interventions,” Dumagdag said.
She added that the initiative, implemented under the directive of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr., has significantly improved case monitoring, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) where access to health facilities remains limited.
Through the coordinated efforts of Barangay Nutrition Scholars, Barangay Health Workers, Health Navigators, and midwives, the Provincial Government continues to strengthen its nutrition programs to reduce the incidence of malnutrition and stunting and improve the overall health of children across South Cotabato.
