How Peru tackled malnutrition and growth crisis among children under five

A campaign of health checks, funding and education has managed to make a significant dent in Peru’s childhood stunting crisis.

The rate of children whose growth is impaired聽has been halved in less than a decade and, with better care and nutrition, even the poorest indigenous children are thriving.

Peru now has the best record of any country tackling malnutrition. Between 2007 and 2014, stunting among children under the age of five fell from 29% to 14%, according to聽Peru国产视频檚 National Statistics Institute.

That happened because government ministries, regional governments, health professionals and NGOs worked together to reduce child stunting caused by chronic undernutrition.聽

As 国产视频’s #5for5 campaign on early childhood development has been highlighting, the first 1000 days in a child国产视频檚 life are crucial. Children need nurturing care – including good nutrition – if they are going to develop to their full potential.

Those first 1000 days became the focus in Peru 国产视频� and one of the key changes came with the Juntos (Together) scheme.聽

Backed by the World Bank, the scheme doubled health and growth check-ups for children in their first three years and school attendance for older children. In return,聽beneficiary families received a monthly cash payment of about $30 to the female head of the household.聽

The scheme, which began in 2005, operates in 22 of Peru国产视频檚 25 regions in rural areas, where poverty is more than 50%.

Alessandra Marini, a senior World Bank economist and leader of the Peru Juntos project between 2007 and 2016, said: 国产视频淛untos was the engine behind the change. It was critical because it was creating incentives for women.

国产视频淧regnant and breastfeeding mothers were expected to attend antenatal and postnatal checkups and have a medically-assisted delivery.聽

“Families with children aged under five had to have regular checkups for growth monitoring, fortified complementary food and vitamin supplements, vaccinations and deworming.聽

Peru’s President,聽Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard, is proud of his country’s achievement.聽

He said: 国产视频淲e recognise that this is the result of efforts of successive governments that maintained an effective public policy.聽

“It relies on a joint strategy closely coordinated among the different levels of government, with the collaboration of several national and international institutions and organisations.聽

“Our country still faces major challenges, however, and we are committed to continuing this work.聽

Our government has proposed reducing chronic malnutrition in children from around 13% to 6.4% and anaemia from 43.6% to 19% between 2016 and 2021. In other words, our goal is to eliminate anaemia as a public health problem.聽

国产视频淚f we want a developed country, our children must be well nourished. It is the only way to definitively break the cycle of poverty.国产视频澛�

The role of the World Bank has been key in the progress. Its President Jim Yong Kim said: 国产视频淪tunting is a silent killer. It deprives children of their right to grow, to thrive and to prosper.聽

“Peru has shown the world that countrywide engagement can reduce stunting, creating a path towards a brighter future for all children.国产视频�

Helping children in the Andes

The charity Amantani – which聽works to defend the rights of indigenous children and young people in the Peruvian Andes –聽 gave聽Their News access to research and a study into child malnutrition in Ccorca, which is in the mountainous Cusco region.

The report was written by researcher Carla Ballonga Paretas at the University of Barcelona and the conclusion was translated for us by聽Sara Perpinya.

It said: “We have observed that within a population of extreme poverty that includes a state programme of food aid, the risk of nutritional deficiency and of anaemia is lower than expected and the anthropometric development is quite adequate.聽

国产视频淗owever, there is a significant chronic malnutrition, probably due to a situation of nutritional deficiency in early development.聽

“Although a relationship between cognitive functioning and nutritional status has been found, low cognitive performance could also be attributed to other environmental or genetic factors.国产视频�

Amantani co-director Fred Branson said:聽国产视频淲e enable children and young people from Quechua families to access high-quality education and fair employment, helping to stimulate social development for Peru国产视频檚 rural communities.聽

“Our intercultural philosophy promotes social inclusion, while encouraging indigenous autonomy and cultural pride.国产视频�