Known as Chispitas para crecer, the MNP consists of mixtures of vitamins and minerals in powder designed for distribution to this population group, providing them with a balanced combination to strengthen their immune system.
At the delivery ceremony, in the ninth medical office of the Cosme Ordoñez polyclinic in Havana, French Ambassador to Cuba Laurent Burin des Roziers praised the initiative and recalled that both nations have a long tradition of friendship. We must continue to show solidarity at difficult times and this donation is an example of that, he added.
In April 2023, France made a donation of 750,000 euros to WFP Cuba, 207,000 of which were used to purchase this supplement.
All 10,776 metric tons of MNP will benefit 44,608 children and will be distributed until 2025 in all Cuban provinces, except for the five eastern provinces, where the product arrived in 2008.
The sources specified that the planned delivery cycle, which is carried out through the family doctor’s offices, contemplates two months of supplementation and four months of rest to restart another cycle.
The use of MNP has an impact on children’s health when it is administered in the first 1,000 days of life, because it favors the development of the brain and body, and reduces the risk of iron deficiency and anemia in infants and young children.
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