The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has indeed changed our lives and how we go about our daily routines. For nutrition workers like the Barangay Nutrition Scholars, the COVID-19 pandemic has made their work even more challenging. Notwithstanding the risk to their lives posed by COVID-19, the BNSs continue to visit families at home to provide micronutrient supplements to mothers and children, distribute food packs including complementary food for children 6-23 months old and counsel mothers on good nutrition, among others while observing the minimum health standards and physical distancing. They find themselves grappling with ways to help mothers practice correct infant and young child feeding (IYCF) especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.

To help them understand the importance of breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding especially during this public health emergency and the key messages on IYCF that they need to share to families, the National Nutrition Council-NCR conducted an online seminar or Webinar entitled “IYCF sa panahon ng COVID-19” on May 8, 2020 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Around 80 BNSs from the 17 local government units (LGU) in Metro Manila except Malabon and Quezon City attended the activity via Zoom.

The webinar aimed to inform the participants on the importance and benefits of IYCF during COVID-19, ways of giving breastmilk to infants when mothers who are suspected or confirmed for COVID-19 are unwell to breastfeed, and how breastfeeding and complementary feeding should be done when a mother has COVID-19.

In her message, NNC-NCR Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Ms. Milagros Elisa Federizo emphasized the important role BNSs play in preventing the worsening of the nutrition situation in this time of COVID-19. She commended the BNSs for their untiring service as modern-day heroes of nutrition, especially now that we are faced with the threat of the pandemic. “Sana ay mayroon kayong baunin na dagdag kaalaman after this webinar para magamit ninyo sa patuloy na pakikipaglaban sa COVID-19”, RNPC Federizo said.

RNPC Federizo discussed the topics “Why IYCF is needed during COVID” and “Pregnancy and Childbirth during COVID-19”, putting the discussion on the IYCF within the context of the First 1000 Days of the child. Nutrition Officer III Emerenciana Francia, on the other hand, discussed “Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding during COVID-19”. These were followed by a question and answer portion wherein commonly asked questions regarding breastfeeding when a mother is suspected or confirmed for COVID-19 and issues regarding milk formula donation were tackled. NO I Gazelle Garcia and AA VI Sarah Bautista assisted in taking note of the questions raised by the participants.

NO II Theresa Rivas in her synthesis, emphasized that programs and services to protect, promote, and support optimal breastfeeding (early and exclusive) as well as age-appropriate and safe complementary foods and feeding practices should remain a critical component of the programming and response for young children in the context of COVID-19.

The National Nutrition Council-NCR hopes to conduct more webinars in the coming days to capacitate more nutrition workers on how to help communities achieve good nutrition amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

(TAR/RGRG/MEVF/NNC-NCR)