"Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-sama Nating Wakasan"

          The 39th Nutrition Month celebration focuses on hunger with the theme "Gutom at Malnutrisyon, Sama-sama nating wakasan" (Hunger and Malnutrition, Let's end it together). The theme is directing to increase consciousness on hunger issues, and actions to lessen hunger and malnutrition, encourage stakeholders to contribute to addressing hunger issues, and support for stronger political action to end hunger.

                   It is focused on hunger because of two reasons, first, hunger is one of the worst types of deficiency because people do not enjoy their necessary right to food. And second, hunger rate in the Philippines has worsened in recent years. What do we mean by hunger? It is a state in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients needed for fully productive, active and healthy lives. Prolonged hunger can lead to malnutrition and even death. When we travel to Africa, we will encounter numerous people who are malnourished, especially children, who must be the ones to have better production.

                   That is why this celebration wants to stop hunger and malnutrition. When we say "Let's end it together," we in truth end it. There is no hunger when people have physical access to nutritious food which meets their nutritional needs for active and healthy lives.