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TaiwanICDF and World Vision Tackle Child Malnutrition in the Eastern Visayas of the Philippines

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Filipinas
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TaiwanICDF
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In response to the government’s New Southbound Policy, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and World Vision commenced a cooperative project—Integrated Action for Children’s Nutrition Project in the Philippines—in the Leyte and Samar Provinces of the Philippines in September 2018. This project aims to improve the status of children’s nutrition through capacity building of caregivers on proper feeding practices in these areas, and to construct and rehabilitate health facilities to increase access of families (including children) to health and nutrition services.

The Eastern Visayas in the Philippines remains one of the poorest regions in the country. It is estimated that 45 percent of the population lives below poverty line and malnutrition among children under five is also quite common. Given that the poor are at high risk of malnutrition and malnutrition has serious and irreversible effects on children's growth and health, nutrition improvement has become one of the most important issues for the international society and the Philippine government. The TaiwanICDF therefore cooperates with World Vision on this project, which will run for 14 months.

This project will help local households, especially families with malnourished children, to receive education on child care, hygiene and sanitation practices, and build capacity of community-based Breast Feeding Support Groups (BFSGs) to promote proper feeding. In addition, the project will construct one health facility and rehabilitate two health facilities to increase access of health and nutrition services for beneficiaries. The project is expected to benefit 29,500 people.

The TaiwanICDF will dispatch volunteers to participate in the project to deepen and strengthen exchanges and share Taiwan's experience, thereby enhancing Taiwan’s visibility in international aid. In line with the New Southbound Policy, the project will use Taiwan’s soft power in public health and medicine to assist in developing talents, enhancing the quality of life in partner countries, and strengthening the relationship between the two countries.