THE country’s stunting rate among children aged two years and below slightly declined to 21.1% in 2025 from 22.5% in 2023, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Wednesday.

Speaking during a House budget hearing, Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said eight out of 10 Filipino children under two have adequate height for their age, although the country remains behind its nutrition targets.

“Although we are still far from our target,” Mercado told lawmakers, referring to the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023–2028, which aims to reduce the prevalence of stunting among children under five to 17.9% or lower by 2028.

Stunting is caused by chronic malnutrition, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life, and may have long-term effects on a child’s physical growth, brain development, and cognitive abilities.

The DOH also presented other key health indicators during the hearing, noting that only two in three children are fully immunized, below the agency’s target of 95% immunization coverage.

Access to basic water supply stood at 82.7%, while 64.5% of Filipino families had access to modern family planning methods, with both indicators still below national targets.

On HIV, Mercado said the department is expanding PhilHealth’s Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment program to include preventive HIV medication and broader testing as part of efforts to improve diagnosis and treatment coverage and move toward the global 95-95-95 targets.

The DOH also reported that 367,226 tuberculosis patients had completed treatment, while 262,569 individuals had gained access to essential mental health medicines.

Meanwhile, the department said new shipments of tuberculosis medicines and other related medical commodities are expected to arrive in the Philippines between late October and November