PhilHealth has launched a groundbreaking initiative offering free outpatient care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), developed with UNICEF support and UK funding.
The Severe Acute Malnutrition Outpatient Therapeutic Care Benefit Package provides up to P7,500 for infants and P17,000 for children under five, covering treatment, nutrition counseling, and therapeutic food.
Expected to help around 100,000 children annually, the program addresses longstanding barriers such as healthcare costs and limited access in rural communities.
PhilHealth hailed the project as a global first for integrating nutrition into a health insurance system, but experts emphasized the need for awareness, facility accreditation, and food supply stability.
Severe acute malnutrition affects 600,000 Filipino children and remains a critical public health challenge linked to poverty and poor healthcare access.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 29, 2025
