Delegates from the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) showcased nutrition-focused governance solutions at the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28–31, 2025. Three representatives from the ZFF Nutrition team presented lessons from ZFF’s governance-focused approach to strengthening local nutrition systems during the Global Health Nutrition Parallel Sessions.

Dr. Joyce Viar, Nutrition Director at ZFF, demonstrated nutrition leadership in practice through a governance approach, highlighting how the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program strengthens local leadership and builds resilient nutrition systems. Jennifer Nandu, ZFF Nutrition Project Expert, illustrated how improved governance in Basilan transformed peace gains into better nutrition outcomes, showing how nutrition can serve as a dividend of peace. Rio Fe del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert, showcased how ZFF’s First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap helps local government units (LGUs) build more coherent, accountable, and functional nutrition systems.

View the presentations:

• Nutrition Leadership in Practice: A Governance Approach through the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program
• From Conflict to Care: Nutrition as a Dividend of Peace through Good Governance in Basilan
• Strengthening Local Nutrition Systems through Governance: Implementation of the F1KD Nutrition Roadmap by the Zuellig Family Foundation
• More knowledge products

These presentations emphasized that nutrition governance relies on building leadership, systems, and structures that drive sustainable change. Strong governance enables LGUs to integrate sectors, use data effectively, safeguard programs across political cycles, and design solutions tailored to local realities. The presenters stressed that sustained improvements in child and maternal nutrition occur only when governance is strong, coordinated, and people-centered.

The ZFF delegates’ contributions complemented broader conference discussions on how interconnected factors—health systems, maternal health, education, mental well-being, climate risks, and community conditions—shape nutrition. Presenters showed how school environments, caregiving practices, and exposure to environmental hazards affect children’s growth and learning. They also highlighted the needs of vulnerable groups and the expanding role of digital tools in promoting food literacy and healthier behaviors among youth.

Overall, the sessions reinforced a key insight: governments and development partners must address malnutrition through a multisectoral, systems-oriented approach that goes beyond feeding programs and accounts for the social, environmental, and health-related factors influencing the well-being of children and families, not only across the Asia-Pacific region, but also globally.

Author: Rio Fe Del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert

At the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rio Fe del Valle, Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Expert, explained how ZFF’s First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap helps local government units strengthen their nutrition systems. She showed how the roadmap guides local governments to plan better, stay accountable, and deliver more coordinated services for mothers and young children during the critical early months and years of life.

At 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jennifer Nandu, Nutrition Project Expert at Zuellig Family Foundation, shared how Basilan improved its nutrition outcomes by strengthening local governance. She described how communities used peace gains to expand access to services and demonstrated how good leadership allows nutrition to become a meaningful dividend of peace.

At 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held on October 28–31, 2025, at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dr. Joyce Viar, Nutrition Director of the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), presented how ZFF strengthens nutrition leadership through a governance approach. She introduced the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program and showed how it equips local leaders to work together, make informed decisions, and build stronger, more resilient nutrition systems.