PhilHealth, UNICEF Launch Benefit Package To Beat Malnourishment

The national health insurance system has launched a comprehensive support program for children facing severe wasting and other critical forms of acute malnutrition.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has partnered with UNICEF to combat malnutrition in the country through the Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) Outpatient Therapeutic Care Benefit Package, a first in the Philippines, in hopes it will save the lives of the most vulnerable children.

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Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)

According to UNICEF, severe acute malnutrition affects 14.3 million children worldwide. It remains a pressing global health issue, yet only a small fraction receive treatment.

In the Philippines, one in three children faces a triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition (including stunting and wasting), micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition (overweight and obesity). Nearly 600,000 children are suffering from wasting, with regions like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao seeing rates as high as 10%, double the national average.

SAM is the most dangerous form of undernutrition, leaving children extremely thin, weak, and vulnerable to infections. Without early identification and prompt intervention, SAM can result in death, or lead to long-term stunting for those who survive. Children with SAM typically show very low weight-for-height, a low mid-upper arm circumference, or signs of nutritional edema.

PhilHealth's Benefit Package

The benefit package provides families with children suffering from severe acute malnutrition treatment services worth P7,500 for infants aged 0-6 months and P17,000 for children aged 6-60 months.

The package includes medical care and ready-to-use therapeutic foods to restore weight and address underlying infections. Moroever, families will receive counseling from health professionals on proper feeding and hygiene practices to prevent future malnutrition.

Regular follow-ups through home visits will also be done to monitor each child's progress, particularly for those struggling with treatment, while referrals for inpatient care are available for those with complications.

“These packages are PhilHealth's support to the government’s effort to fight malnutrition in the country. With these, we may help reduce the developmental and medical impacts of malnutrition on children and their families, leading to a healthier Philippines,” said PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr.

PhilHealth and UNICEF are urging health providers and parents to fully utilize this package. 

“Every child, whoever they are and wherever they live, has the right to a healthy start in life, and no family should be held back by financial barriers when it comes to life-saving treatment to overcome malnutrition,” said Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UNICEF Representative to the Philippines.

“Through a national health insurance, we can make sure every child is identified early and has free access to the care they need. We are giving them a real chance at a healthy and productive future," he added.

Click here for tips on encouraging your child to eat veggies for healthy weight gain.