A lawmaker on Friday disclosed that Child malnutrition is a devastating but often overlooked health emergency in the Philippines that requires urgent attention.
According to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go — who also chairs the Senate Committee —- national agencies and local governments should treat malnutrition with the same urgency as other public health threats.
“Many children, especially in remote areas, still lack proper nutrition. We need to address this early on,” Go said. “This is not just an issue of poverty but also of access to health services.”
This comes as the senator welcomed the launch of PhilHealth’s Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) Outpatient Therapeutic Care Benefit Package.
The national health insurance agency will now cover the full outpatient treatment for child malnutrition under this package.
Spearheaded by PhilHealth with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and funding from the United Kingdom government, the benefit offers free medical treatment, nutritional screening, counseling and therapeutic food to children under five diagnosed with SAM.
Infants under six months are eligible for benefits up to P7,500, while older children can receive up to P17,000 in total assistance.
The benefit is expected to assist around 100,000 children annually and aims to bridge the gap between healthcare access and nutritional care in impoverished and geographically isolated areas.
“This is a good step because it will greatly help families who cannot afford treatment,” Go cited. “With benefits from PhilHealth, the reach of services that can be provided to children expands.”
Go commended the move as a crucial expansion of PhilHealth’s social protection role but emphasized the need for broader structural reforms to address the root causes of hunger and health inequity.
Following appeals from Go, PhilHealth has taken steps to revise outdated policies. Significant changes include the abolition of the Single Period of Confinement rule and the 24-hour confinement rule, which previously limited benefit access for patients with recurring illnesses and emergency cases.
“Use PhilHealth funds for health — that’s why it’s called PhilHealth. And let’s remember that PhilHealth is not a business. It’s insurance that should support us when we get sick,” said the lawmaker.
To further ease the burden on poor families, PhilHealth also removed the 45-day annual limit for hospitalizations per member and has begun raising case rates and enhancing packages for common ailments. Go stressed the need to review benefit levels for life-threatening conditions as well.
Go also reaffirmed his support for PhilHealth’s efforts to expand coverage for leading causes of death and called for greater local government participation and more grassroots health investments.
The senator — who played a key role in the passage of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 — said his health reform agenda remains focused on providing practical, direct assistance to Filipinos in need. His team has also conducted feeding initiatives in public hospitals with Malasakit Centers nationwide to help address malnutrition.
“Remember that health is equivalent to the life of every Filipino. Let us care for the sick and not burden those who are already suffering. Let us bring medical services closer to the people, especially the poor and those in remote areas,” Go said.