Angola, 8 March 2013: EU helps fight malnutritionLuanda, 8 March 2013 – The European Union (EU), through the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), is providing more than two million Euros in funding to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to reinforce the Angolan government’s initiatives for improving the nutrition of the most vulnerable children. This is part of a programme of 15 million Euros from the European Union to meet humanitarian needs in Southern Africa, of which four million Euros was donated to Angola, through UNICEF and the NGO World Vision. “Our partnership with UNICEF aims at preventing and controlling malnutrition in the worst hit municipalities by the 2012 drought, with the active participation of civil society on the ground”, said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. UNICEF will use these funds to prevent malnutrition and screen children who might be affected by malnutrition, purchase therapeutic foods, build local capacity and conduct awareness campaigns, as defined in the government strategy to control malnutrition in children under five. Around 145,000 children have been screened and treated since last year either at a community level or through the nutrition units. The four provinces worst affected by the drought: Bié, Huambo, Kuanza-Sul and Zaire now have 48 new special nutrition units, 247 nutrition centres and over 2,000 community health workers. Koenraad Vanormelingen, UNICEF representative said, “The European Union contribution helps to accelerate actions already being implemented by the government and its partners to give the Angolan children the chance of a better health.” Malnutrition deeply affects children’s cognitive and intellectual development and is a threat for the country’s future generations. That is why so much effort is made to ensure that all children are born and grow up healthily and therefore be able to fully contribute to the development of Angola. For further information, please contact: Olívio Gambo, Information Officer, UNICEF Angola, Mobile: 923 614 8 57
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