The Beginning: Initiative against Child Chronic Malnutrition (IDI)
In late 2005, development support institutions such as ADRA Peru, CARE Peru, CARITAS Peru, and PRISMA formed the Initiative against Child Malnutrition (IDI). Their goal was to promote public policies and concrete actions aimed at reducing child chronic malnutrition (DCI), which at that time affected 28.7% of children under 5 years old.
Chronic malnutrition is not only a health issue; it is also a development indicator. It is closely linked to poverty, limits the country’s intellectual potential, and undermines the fundamental right to health and life.
Successful experiences driven by some institutions convinced us that preventing DCI is possible and that joint efforts are necessary to achieve this goal.
Visualizing Change
In July 2004, Peru approved the National Food Security Strategy (ENSA), which aimed to reduce chronic malnutrition. However, its implementation lacked sufficient energy from the national government.
At that time, some regional governments (Cajamarca, Ancash, and Huancavelica) took the initiative and were developing Regional Food Security Strategies (ERSA). Given the change in authorities, it was crucial to ensure that these processes continued and gained momentum. Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, WhatsApp) played a significant role in disseminating information during this period of political transition.
New Members of the Initiative against Child Malnutrition
In January 2006, with the goal of reducing chronic malnutrition, the initiative promoted by ADRA, CARE, Caritas, and PRISMA (joined by USAID and United Nations organizations such as UNICEF, FAO, WHO/PAHO, WFP, UNFPA, and the World Bank) participated as an invited opinion. Thus, IDI was composed of 10 partners and one guest.
The organization had three working groups: directors, technical specialists, and communicators from member institutions.
Between February and March 2006, the IDI joined the Roundtable for Poverty Reduction (MCLCP). In October 2007, Futuras Generaciones joined, followed by the Institute of Nutritional Research in March 2008. Later, Action Against Hunger, Plan International (2010), World Vision Peru (2011), and MSH (2012) became part of IDI, bringing the total to 16 institutions.
The government recognizes IDI as a technical reference on the topic and values its role in bridging the gap between the state and civil society. IDI actively contributes to the design of public policies related to reducing child malnutrition in the country.
Utilizing Member Experiences
IDI leverages successful interventions by its member institutions, demonstrating proven impacts of strategies that integrate community, municipal, and healthcare activities. These strategies focus on the causal factors of chronic malnutrition and specifically monitor child nutrition at the community level.
As part of this concern, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), through telephone surveys, and the United Nations World Food Programme (PMA), using the Emergency Food Security Assessment (ESAE) methodology, shed light on what we suspected: an increase in food insecurity with the potential impact on child chronic malnutrition and anemia.
Simultaneously, these investigations confirmed an increase in the consumption of processed and industrialized foods. This rise was not only due to restrictions imposed on the population but also because of the convenience and speed of preparing packaged foods. Parents working from home had to cook and feed all family members, leading to a surge in the consumption of processed foods high in carbohydrates, sugars, salt, and other industrial additives.
These processed foods were cost-effective and required less preparation compared to fresh, natural products. However, this increased consumption also posed a greater risk of overweight and obesity in adults, as well as in children and adolescents.
In November 2020, after multiple discussions and redefining the initiative’s role, we transitioned from IDI to PERUSAN.
PERUSAN’s Position
After adopting the name PERUSAN (Initiative for Food security and nutrition), we, as a collective of civil society organizations and specialists in this field, publicly expressed our viewpoints and presented proposals to achieve Food security and nutrition for all.
Our concerns and contributions were shared through the following pronouncements and communications from PERUSAN:
- PERUSAN: Urgent Fight Against Malnutrition
- Key Messages for Candidates and Political Movements
- Commitments for a Public Policy on Healthy Eating and Zero Hunger
- Pronouncement for a Hunger-Free Peru: Food security and nutrition for All (May 2021)
- PERUSAN: One Million Peruvians Suffer from Hunger in Peru