• Abbott and Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) collaborate to help address malnutrition in underserved children
• Abbott will provide screening tools, educational resources and training to RCM volunteers to help identify, address and prevent malnutrition risk in children

Abbott announced today a collaboration with Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) to continue its fight against malnutrition in the Philippines. Through the collaboration with RCM, Abbott will contribute tools and trainings to help RCM volunteers—including high school and college students, social workers and teachers — better respond to the critical nutrition needs in their communities and connect children at risk of stunting to resources in the healthcare system.

Abbott and the Rotary Club of Manila joined forces during the MOA signing event held at the Manila Polo Club to solidify their partnership to beat malnutrition. The event was led by RCM President Jujut Enriquez (seated left) and Abbott General Manager Mike Escobar (seated right). Also present were (standing, left to right) Jason Bogovich, Co-chairman of the disease prevention and treatment committee and sergeant at Arms, Dr John Cutter, Co-chairman of the disease prevention and treatment committee and deputy sergeant at Arms, Dr. Jose Dimaano, nutrition medical director for Asia Pacific at Abbott, and Sharon Mak, director of public Affairs for Asia Pacific at Abbott. Through this collaboration, Abbott will train RCM volunteers on how screening can address malnutrition and childhood stunting.

In the Philippines, 1 in 4 children under five years of age are stunted or short for their age.¹ Stunting – a prevalent form of malnutrition – can have long-term effects on cognitive development, school achievement and economic productivity in adulthood. Addressing malnutrition starts with regular screening and early identification of children at risk.

”Fighting malnutrition requires joint efforts between the public and private sectors, and local institutions that support the communities, such as the alliance that we have signed today,” said Eduardo ‘Jujut’ V. Enriquez III, president of Rotary Club of Manila. ”By leveraging our collective resources, we can foster healthier communities and help detect children at risk for malnutrition early so they can get access to important nutrition care.”

Taking a different approach

This partnership, a part of the Abbott Center for Malnutrition Solutions (ACMS) initiative, empowers communities in the Philippines to improve children’s health through early malnutrition detection and timely nutrition intervention, with a focus on reducing and preventing childhood stunting.

Dr. Jose Dimaano, nutrition medical director for Asia Pacific at Abbott, and Sharon Mak, director of public affairs for Asia Pacific at Abbott, led the Rotary Club of Manila Volunteer’s Training on Malnutrition Screening & Education. The training, which included student and teacher volunteers, focused on equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively screen for malnutrition and how to educate their communities.

”Good nutrition plays a critical role in addressing malnutrition, which is why Abbott has focused on improving nutrition for decades through our innovations and by applying our science and expertise in collaboration with others,” said Dr Jose Dimaano, nutrition medical director for Asia Pacific at Abbott. ”Through this partnership, we are empowering RCM volunteers with simple tools to solve one of the world’s biggest health challenges.”

Abbott will equip and train RCM volunteers to use screening tools, including height charts and the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) z-score tape, to help identify malnutrition risk in children starting with two barangays in Metro Manila. The MUAC z-score tape is a simple device that resembles a traditional tape measure and includes age-specific, color-coded indicators that indicate if a child is at risk of malnutrition.

During the training, volunteers had the opportunity to try hands-on use of MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) tape, a key tool in malnutrition screening. This session highlighted the importance of using simple tools like height charts and MUAC z-score tape to identify children at risk of stunting and malnutrition, marking a crucial first step in addressing this critical health issue.

Through training RCM volunteers, Abbott is building the capacity to screen for and identify malnutrition at the community or household level, helping to ease some of the burden on healthcare systems. This initiative empowers families to identify children at risk so they can connect with healthcare professionals for appropriate support.

Abbott and RCM will also educate families and children about the nutritional value of common foods and guide them toward making healthier choices. The curriculum will include practical lessons on meal planning, understanding food labels, and preparing affordable, nutritious meals using locally available ingredients.

Dr. Jose Rodolfo Dimaano, Jr., nutrition medical director for Asia Pacific at Abbott, demonstrates how to properly use a growth chart. As part of the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) and Abbott’s partnership to fight malnutrition, Abbott will provide tools, materials, and training to RCM volunteers to help identify children at risk of malnutrition and stunting, as well as deliver appropriate nutrition interventions.

This collaboration builds on Abbott’s Growth Watch initiative, which aims to identify childhood malnutrition and stunting early through growth monitoring and nutrition education. Since 2021, the Growth Watch initiative has measured and educated more than 161,000 children and families. This work will also contribute to Abbott’s 2030 Sustainability Plan ambition to transform care for malnutrition, chronic disease and infectious diseases, with a goal to improve the lives of 3 billion people a year by decade’s end.