MÉRIDA, Mexico – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has donated a shipment of micronutrient powders for the children of Isla de la Juventud.
The formula, known as Chispitas para Crecer, will benefit 1,083 children between six and 23 months, According to a report from the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
The product, produced by pharmaceutical laboratories in France, Italy and Japan, includes a combination of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.
This supplement has already been introduced in the eastern provinces and WFP plans to expand its use in all provinces of the country.
Representatives of the UN programme are training doctors, nurses and managers “on the correct distribution and administration of the supplement,” the report added.
Childhood malnutrition in Cuba
In June, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) included Cuba for the first time in its report on severe child poverty.
According to the entity, 9% of the Cuban child population suffers from severe povertywhich means that these children only have access to a maximum of two of the eight foods necessary for a healthy life.
The report highlights that, in addition to the 9% of children who suffer from severe poverty, 33% of children under five years of age in Cuba live in conditions of moderate poverty, with access to between three and four essential foods.
The data marks an alarming change since 2012, when Cuba was below 5%, the limit established by UNICEF to consider the existence of serious child poverty.
The new data also adds to other indicators that show a significant decline in the country’s “prosperity.” Last February, it was revealed that Cuba had fallen 30 places in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) over the past 15 years, even exceeding the figures for the Special Period.
