The Ministry of Health says a supplementary provision of over $56M will allow it to further extend its Basic Nutrition Programme which has recorded a 34% reduction in cases of children with anaemia.
In order to facilitate the Programme, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh presented a supplementary provision of $56,828,000 for the period ending December 2009. The provision was presented in Financial Paper No.2 of 2009 to the National Assembly, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
The Programme which started in 2003, seeks to eliminate malnutrition and anaemia in pregnant woman and children. Over 20,000 persons are expected to benefit. Plans are also in train to continue the registration of beneficiaries, the manufacturing and distribution of the nutrition ‘sprinkles’ and the distribution of food voucher coupons. Children who are registered will receive the sprinkles while their parents will benefit from a monthly food coupon valued $1000 which can be redeemed from selected shops for items such as full-cream milk, barley, cornmeal and plantain flour.
According to GINA an assessment of the programme has shown a 34% reduction in the prevalence of anaemia in young children and a 45% reduction in children diagnosed as malnourished. There has also been evidence of behavioural changes in mothers regarding their feeding practices. It was set to end in 2007 but was instead extended with 33 more distribution centres added. There are now 82 centres countrywide.
