The Timor-Leste Ministry of Health signed an agreement last week with the UN World Food Program (WFP) to purchase so-called “super cereal,” a specialised nutritious food to tackle malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
According to reports, a US$600,000 fund will be used to purchase 389 metric tons of super cereal to be distributed in 2024. The super cereal will assist around 10,819 pregnant and breastfeeding women across 13 municipalities facing food insecurity.
The initiative is part of Timor-Leste’s broader strategy to eradicate stunting, which currently impacts 47 percent of children under five, and reach its sustainable development goal of zero hunger by 2030.
[See more: Timor-Leste braces for looming food shortages]
Timor-Leste is considered a food-deficit country by the UN World Food Program (WFP), heavily reliant on imports and rain-fed agriculture. “Women and girls of childbearing age face the brunt of nutritious food gaps in the country,” according to Alba Cecilia Garzón Olivares, WFP country representative for Timor-Leste. Increased food costs, climate shocks and the impact of Covid-19 have put Timorese women at even greater risk of malnutrition.
Super cereal is a highly fortified porridge made of blended corn, soybean, dried skim milk and sweetener that provides the calories, proteins and vitamins needed to combat malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
By providing super cereal to thousands through community health centres, the government and WFP aim to fix food gaps and support a healthier future for mothers and children in Timor-Leste.
