COTABATO: The Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has assured United Nations (UN) officials that the region is actively addressing child malnutrition and related health challenges. BARMM Health Minister Dr. Kadil Sinolinding highlighted in a statement that the region’s child malnutrition rate, which reached 49 percent in 2015 among children 10 years and below, had been significantly reduced to 33 percent by 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, Sinolinding updated UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) representatives during a dialogue, reporting marked improvements in BARMM’s child welfare initiatives, which he credited for sharp declines in mortality and malnutrition rates. ‘Infant mortality, which was at 152 per 1,000 live births in 2008, dropped to 43 by 2021,’ Sinolinding said.
Maternal mortality rates also declined from 254 per 100,000 live births in 2008 to 54 in 2023, while the under-five mortality rate decreased from 98 to 28 over t
he same period. Dr. Rinchen Chopel, UNCRC vice chair and rapporteur, praised BARMM’s health progress and pledged continued UN support in the region to bolster child welfare.
Sinolinding cited the peace and stability in BARMM as critical to improved health outcomes. ‘No one understands Bangsamoro children better than Bangsamoro leaders and the Filipino people,’ he said. ‘These children are our future leaders; we must protect them now.’
On Monday, BARMM launched the Bangsamoro Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition (BRPAN) 2023-2028, the nation’s first regional initiative targeting malnutrition. With support from UNICEF and the World Food Programme, BRPAN aims to reduce malnutrition rates by an additional 10 percent. ‘This plan is our collective response to urgent nutritional challenges in our region,’ said Sinolinding, also a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.