BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The government fortifies involvement of media practitioners in promoting health literacy to help combat the country’s double burden on malnutrition.
The Department of Health (DOH) Health Promotion Bureau gathered representatives of media outfits in Central and Northern Luzon on August 13-16, 2024 in Baguio City for the “Media Conference: Engaging Media for Health Literacy.” The focus was on of promoting healthy diet and physical activity, one of the seven priority areas for health promotion by the DOH.
Said activity aimed to familiarize the media with the different health concepts, terminologies, various health promotion and initiatives of the government in collaboration with its partners and stakeholders to help curb malnutrition cases with the goal of fostering a healthier, more productive citizenry. This further laid out a common understanding, correct usage and fair and balanced reporting of health information by the media.
DOH Assistant Secretary for Public Health Services Cluster Maylene Beltran emphasized that the media plays a crucial role in improving health literacy and in shaping individuals’ health behaviors.
“We really have plans for media conferences. Why do we need to do that? Simply because we want to be the partner for you to be able to provide useful, relevant, correct updated information to our citizens. You really take a very important role kasi kayo yung aming medium sa paghahatid ng mga messages na dapat nakakarating sa ating mga kababayan, because we have to improve the health literacy of our people” she said.
Beltran also highlighted that through the media, the people can manifest healthy choices, therefore, decreasing health risks.
“This media conference that we have actually conducted will allow us to impart and share relevant and necessary information, and updated information so that again, we would be able to empower our citizens to make healthy choices, therefore, if we make healthy choices, we hope that they would be able to choose healthy lifestyles and therefore, curb health risks.”
The conference featured discussions on food and nutrition policies highlighting the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, the First 1000 Days of Life and joint DOH-Department of Agriculture urban farming project, among others. There were also discussions on food environment specified on fiscal measure for nutrition while food consumption pointed on overweight and obesity; unhealthy food marketing; tools for healthy eating; nutrition programs in schools, front-of-package labeling and physical activities. (CVBT, PIA-CAR)
