Quito, 28 feb ( EFE).- Ecuador will invest a total of $ 34 million to prevent and reduce child malnutrition in the country affecting more than 20 per cent of children reported the Government in 2012.
The objective of the “ nutrition action towards zero malnutrition” campaign aims to eradicate chronic malnutrition in babies less than a year until 2015, also reduce by 50% until 2013 anaemia among children under five years, explained the official newspaper the citizen on its website.
According to data from the survey of conditions of life (HP), the National Institute of statistics and census (Inec), the country’s chronic malnutrition afflicts to 26 per cent of children, while this figure rises to 42% in the center of the Andean Highlands, where the highest rates are recorded and amounts to a 50.5 per cent among the indigenous population, drew citizen.
Similar campaigns were carried out between 2010 and 2011, when the Government invested $ 38 million to reduce child malnutrition, while in 2012 this cause it allocated 34 million.
This is an interministerial campaign in which the portfolios of health and economic inclusion and Social (MIES) will facilitate nutrition and health services to children under five years, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
, For its part, the Ministry of urban development and housing (Miduvi) will provide water, sanitation and housing, and education portfolio will be a literacy among women and mothers communities campaign.
The Ministry of agriculture, livestock, aquaculture and fisheries (MAGAP) will promote family farming to promote the development of small producers and farmers organizations.
The program, which began in 2009, began in rural sectors of the mountain provinces of Chimborazo, Tungurahua, Bolivar, Cotopaxi, Cañar, Imbabura and the coast of ManabÃ.
In 2011 the campaign was extended to the cities of Manta and Guayaquil, on the coast, and in the capital, Quito, and want to expand to the provinces in the southern province of Azuay and Loja in this 2012.
Several children take food in the dining room of an elementary school. The goal of the campaign “Nutrition action, aims to eradicate chronic malnutrition in infants less than an añoy to reduce anaemia among children under five years by 50%.” EFE/file
