Peru is Scaling Up Nutrition with multiple stakeholders, across multiple sectors and at multiple levels!

January 28, 2015 - Last update: February 10, 2023

At the beginning of 2015, Peru saw many advancements towards scaling up nutrition. These include the milestone launch of “Bienvenidos a la Vida” (Welcome to Life), a national plan to improve newborn health across the nation. The First Lady of Peru, Nadine Heredia, who is also a member of the SUN Movement Lead Group was joined by Health Minister, Anical Velasquez, to oversee the launch on the 25^th of December 2014 at Cayetano Heredia Hospital. The First Lady emphasized the great investment the Peruvian state has already contributed to the care of mothers and that investment has now evolved to focus on protecting newborns.

In early 2015, the Peruvian Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud – MINSA) initiated a programme in the poorest regions of Peru to support the health sector reform (PARSALUD II). The 14 month capacity building programme plans to reach 720 health professionals and 720 community workers in 9 regions of Peru. The programme is being carried out under the leadership of the Ministry of Health to improve maternal and child health in the regions of Amazonas, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huánuco, Huancavelica, Puno y Ucayali. The national university Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Cáritas del Perú will support the roll out of the programme with their expertise in the areas related to Maternal and Child Health.

Also later in January 2015, Ariela Luna Florez, the Deputy Minister for Policy and Social Assessment and SUN Government Focal Point, met with mayors from different provinces of the Amazon region to agree joint actions in favour of people in poverty and extreme poverty. Ms Florez also shared with authorities, interventions that required fewer resources that will mean more children will be reached to reduce malnutrition. After the meeting, the mayors recognized the importance of joint work that has been leading the MIDIS in favor of the most remote villages of Peru and expressed their willingness to continue the commitment to improve the quality of life of its residents living in poverty and extreme poverty.