A new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) published today in Dublin, Ireland, highlights that in Peru it has been possible to reduce chronic malnutrition in children under five years of age, from 30% in 2004 to 20% in 2011, and attributes this progress to the will and political commitment to tackle this problem.
According to this document entitled “Improving child nutrition: an achievable imperative for global progress”, cited by Gestión, the Peruvian experience in overcoming child malnutrition focuses on improving women’s nutrition before, during and after pregnancy and in the promotion and protection of women and early and exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life.
“In the same way, work is carried out on children’s complementary feeding on time, safely and of good quality between 6 and 24 months of age; the prevention and treatment of micronutrient deficiency that includes supplementation with vitamin A and iron to combat anemia, as well as zinc to reduce diarrheal diseases”, the aforementioned media said.
The UNICEF report also highlights the relevance of including well-designed and evaluated programs to the Peruvian national strategy, which with the technical assistance of international cooperation agencies and local non-governmental organizations, demonstrated possibilities for success through a cross-sectorial approach that goes further beyond the distribution of food.
The representative of Unicef in Peru, Paul Martin, considered that this achievement is the result of the joint work of authorities, families, community leaders, private companies, media, NGOs and international cooperation.