Joyce Ann A. Viar
Background: Despite years of effort, malnutrition in the Philippines remains high, making it unlikely to reach near-zero stunting by 2030. To help address this, the Zuellig Family Foundation’s Pook Malusog program works with local governments, empowering governors and mayors to lead effective “First 1,000 Days” nutrition interventions and drive sustainable improvements. It aims to strengthen local governance for effective nutrition management, ensure inclusive delivery of nutrition services, and promote positive food, health, and nutrition behaviors among target populations.
Methods: This program used the Pook Malusog framework, combining leadership training, coaching, and hands-on fieldwork. Local chief executives and their teams assessed nutrition systems using the First 1,000 Days technical roadmap, based on World Health Organization (WHO)’s Six Building Blocks plus social determinants. Assessment results guided targeted coaching and support to help leaders implement tailored nutrition improvements.
Results: Pook Malusog was implemented in five provinces and 40 municipalities, training 177 local leaders and improving nutrition governance. Stronger leadership led to partnerships that improved resources and service delivery, with all participating local government units (LGUs) showing progress in governance and nutrition services under the “First 1,000 Days” roadmap. Within 6 months, early health gains were reported, including fewer nutritionally at-risk pregnant women, reduced stunting and wasting, and prevention of low birth weight. All pilot provinces saw declines in stunting and wasting rates. Stunting rates in the cohort provinces improved by 2 percentage points per year, outperforming the national average of 1 percentage point per year.
Conclusions: The Pook Malusog Program demonstrates that strong local leadership and systems-based approaches improve nutrition outcomes. It offers a scalable model for strengthening local capacity to achieve national nutrition goals.
