Fighting malnutrition

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican government with the cooperation of the World Nutrition Program (PMA) will evaluate the state of child malnutrition in the 10 poorest provinces of the DR with the goal of implementing nutrition programs for children between the ages of three and 35 months, as reported in Hoy. Three thousand homes in Bahoruco, Barahona, Elias Pina, Duarte, Independencia, Pedernales, Monte Plata, Salcedo, Samana y Maria Trinidad Sanchez provinces will be studied to determine the scope of the program. PMA country official Pavel Isa says that the family surveys will cost around RD$3.5 million The German government is also contributing to fund the survey. The survey should be completed by the end of October. According to the program "Eating Comes First" that was established in 2005, 237,000 homes will benefit from the program, as will 1.5 million people. The goal is for 300,000 homes to benefit from the program by 2008. This year the government spent RD$100 billion in nutrition program making up 6% of the National Budget that translates to 0.5% of the GDP. Hoy writes that the government is set to spend US$190 million on nutrition programs. Thirty five percent of those funds will be directed towards the Solidarity Program, which is a component of the Eat First program.

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